Wedding Ladybug
by Cakedecorator
Summary: Wedding Peach AU. Marinette Dupain-Cheng is an average high-schooler. She spends her days designing clothes and hanging out with her BFF's Alya and Chloé in their school fashion club. But her life gets turned upside down when an akuma attacks, and she learns she's the Love Angel Ladybug, and has to end the war between the angels and akumas! Rated T, Season 2/3 spoilers
1. A Love Angel Is Born

***Wedding bells chiming and wedding music playing** *** Ah… Who doesn't love a wedding? Well, people with hateful hearts, that much I can say! Hey all you Miraculers! Cakedecorator here with what I hope will be an interesting story! For those of us who are familiar with "Sailor Moon," some of the creators on that project were also responsible for what SHOULD be considered a sister series, "Wedding Peach!"**

 **So, my thought process is this: "Wouldn't it be interesting to see the worlds of "Miraculous Ladybug" and "Wedding Peach?" be combined?"**

 **To summarize, Marinette Dupain-Cheng is your basic high-school girl in Paris, France, who lives in the bakery with her father. She spends her days designing clothes and hanging out with her two besties, Alya Césaire and Chloé Bourgeois (who is A LOT nicer here). Her life is then turned upside-down when she and the girls are attacked by an akuma (this story's equivalent to the devils in Wedding Peach), who is after the ring Marinette's mother left behind. She then discovers that she's the legendary Love Angel Ladybug and now she has to end the war between the akuma and angel worlds! But she won't be fighting alone when she discovers later on that Chloé and Alya are Love Angels, too!**

 **Now, the Miraculous items and kwamis are only the transformation trinkets for the main three girls. Other kwamis DO exist, but the thing with the kwamis in this story is that they can be on the side of either akumas _or_ the angels. Also, the whole "use your power, you change back after several minutes" thing doesn't exist here, **_**but**_ **otherwise the powers will be similar to an extent. Since we don't know anything about Queen Bee's power, her debut chapter in this story will have to wait for a little bit (if I decide to keep this story going for that long).**

 **It should also be noted that most of the akuma villains in this story are _separate entities in themselves._ For example, the Gamer isn't the same person as Max Kanté, so if they're in the same room together, they're two completely different people (there will be some outliers in the story, mind you). **

**Now, the anime's "Saint Something Four" (old, new, borrowed, and blue) are called "The Miraculous Something Four" here and they** _ **are not**_ **the Miraculous items in this story. Just work with me here. I'll try my best to modernize the setting since Wedding Peach is about 22 years old (LONG before iPhones).**

 **And it's easy to say "akuma vs. angel" because akuma literally means "devil" or "demon" in Japanese, so it makes more sense than one would initially think.**

* * *

There were church bells ringing above in the air, with flower petals floating around and onto the ground.

As Mendelssohn's "Wedding March" began playing, a spotlight hit a girl who was standing on a red carpet.

She was young, probably in her teens, and she had black hair with blue sheen in two pigtails behind her head. She had fair skin, blue eyes, and was wearing a wedding dress. The dress was white with lace appliques everywhere, and the torso up was in the style of a cheongsam, including the neck. The sleeves were short and lacy, too. The skirt of the dress was an A-line, too and it went down to the floor. The dress could arguably be a bit big on her.

"Wow! This is beautiful!" She said with a smile as she twirled around her full-length mirror and admired herself in the dress.

Her bedroom was clearly up in an attic, but it was certainly a well-decorated room. She had a loft bed and there was pink wallpaper and furniture everywhere. The floor of the room had a trap door to it. There was a chaise lounge on the floor of the room, and she had a desk with a sewing machine and it was fully stocked with sewing materials.

She looked at a book on her desk. It was a wedding album. The girl was paying attention to the bride. The woman in the photo resembled her and she was wearing the exact same dress. She had grey eyes, short black hair, and was a lot shorter than the groom. He was a tall man, a little lanky, and he had green eyes and short, brown hair.

"Maman, does it suit me?" She said as she talked to the photo. "Don't worry, mom. Someday I'll find my Mr. Right and get to have a fabulous wedding like you."

The girl paid attention to the ring on her mother's finger. The ring was a simple golden band with a rose quartz in it.

The girl then looked at her own hand. She was wearing the same ring, and she saw her reflection in the jewelry piece, before saying, "I know I will. In the meantime, watch over me up in heaven, okay? I'll keep all the mementos you left behind safe in the meantime."

Elsewhere, inside some dark clouds, lightning strikes were going back and forth between the clouds, indicating something ominous was about to happen…

There was a knock on the trap door and it opened up. A head poked in to reveal the girl's father, just a lot burlier, with sideburns and a moustache.

"Marinette," He said, seeing his daughter's back was to him. Marinette turned around, and the man could have sworn he saw his wife on their wedding day all over again. "Sabine…?"

"Papa, what's going on?" Marinette asked. Her father shook his head and then he saw that in his wife's place was his daughter in the dress.

Marinette then noticed what she was wearing and said, "Oh, sorry! I was looking through your wedding album and, well… The urge wouldn't go away! I just had to try on Maman's dress! Was… Was that bad?"

"No, you just caught me unaware is all," Her father said. "I'm just going to be in the bakery if you need me."

"Okay, Papa." Marinette said as her father's head sank below the threshold of the door and shut it.

Marinette kept posing in front of the mirror, making many facial expressions, poses, and gestures. She was giggling in front of the mirror, too.

"Hey, Tom!" Another voice said from below.

"Ah! Alya, Chloé. Great timing. Marinette's in her room." Tom said.

Before Marinette knew it, the trap door to her room opened up again. The heads of two girls popped up. One girl had tan skin, hazel eyes, glasses, and dark red hair that went down to her shoulders. She had a beauty mark above her eyebrow. The other one had fair skin, icy blue eyes with blue eyeshadow, peach blush and nude lipstick. Her blonde hair was in a ponytail and she had sunglasses on her head.

They saw what their friend was wearing and gawked at her in surprise.

"Marinette Dupain-Cheng! What are you doing, wearing a wedding dress?" The redhead asked, surprised.

"Yeah, what the _hell_ is happening in here?" The blonde asked, snarkily.

"AH! Alya, Chloé, stop staring at me like that! What are you doing here, anyway?" Marinette asked, surprised. She was blushing in shock.

"Don't tell me you forgot about that Gabriel fashion show and photoshoot at the stadium today? We're _supposed_ to be there to get details and photos for the fashion club blog!" The blonde, Chloé berated. "I didn't get daddy to pull strings for us just for you to forget about this chance!"

"Chloé's right," Alya said. "So, get your ass in gear and change out of that dress!"

"On it!" Marinette said as she started rummaging through her closet for casual clothes. But she got clumsy and fell on her back.

Chloé and Alya merely smacked themselves in their faces.

* * *

Within about five minutes, Marinette ran down the stairs that led to her room's trap door. She was now wearing a white shirt with flower print, a dark grey blazer with pink polka dots inside, pink pants, red flats, and had a pink clutch purse at her side.

"Sorry about that, girls." Marinette said as she and her friends left the building.

Chloé was wearing a necklace with a charm on it, a shirt with two black horizontal stripes near the bottom, a yellow jacket, white capris pants and white dress shoes, and had a belt that had jewels on it.

Alya had a white tank top under an orange flannel shirt with white, purple, and orange plaid stripes. She was also wearing blue jeans and sneakers.

"Geez, you're such a scatterbrain, Marinette." Alya said with a smile and a chuckle.

"If you don't get organized, there's going to be _big_ trouble for _all of us!_ " Chloé berated, hands on her hips.

"Got it." Marinette giggled. In the sun, the rose quartz ring sparkled a little bit.

The thunderclouds were seen again, but this time it looked like someone was coming out of the clouds and was flying through the sky.

"I feel the love wave. The Miraculous Something Four are nearby. No doubt about it." A male voice said.

A figure was in the sky. It looked like a winged humanoid of some sort, with something on his back.

The girls were running through the streets of Paris, rushing to get to the Parc de Princes.

"If we're late for that show, it's on you, Marinette!" Chloé complained.

"Yeah! But girl, what were you doing in that wedding dress anyway?" Alya asked.

"I, uh… But it was beautiful, wasn't it?" Marinette replied, a bit embarrassed to explain to her friends that she had gotten carried away with looking at her parents' wedding album.

" _Please_ don't tell me you were doing a wedding rehearsal." Alya said.

"Why would you do _that?_ " Chloé asked. "Marinette, you're not even in a _relationship_ , never mind engaged!"

"She's right. There's an order to this, girl. You can't get the wedding dress _before_ you get a man." Alya said as the girls kept running.

"But this is _you_ we're talking about, Marinette," Chloé said with a smile on her face. "Finding a boyfriend won't be _that_ hard! In fact, it might be the most difficult thing in the world!"

Marinette knew Chloé was joking, but she still said, "Ugh! Alya, Chloé, the two of you can be so mean sometimes!"

They made it to the stadium. The girls were watching the fashion show/photoshoot from the stands, and they had the best seats in the house, thanks to Chloé.

"Wow, these models really know what they're doing," Marinette said, her eyes glued to the runway. "And they're all our age! This is amazing!"

"Yeah, and we can thank daddy for these seats," Chloé said. "The advantages of being the daughter of the mayor."

"Yeah, but you can still be quite cruel at times," Alya said, filming the show on her phone while Marinette took pictures with hers. "I know you always have our backs, but it won't kill you to try being kinder to others, too."

"Working on it, working on it," Chloé admitted, a little embarrassed. "But let's worry about that later. We have to work on the blog for the club!"

The girls kept an eye on the models down on the runway. They were all boys who were wearing tasteful men's clothing, and they were all snappy dressers. The suits were all sleek and simple, in neutral colors like silver and black, and the accessories that came with them were integrated perfectly with the design. For example, one brunette model was wearing a brown pantsuit with a beige necktie and beret. There was a redhead wearing a similar outfit in tan, but he was not wearing a tie, and he had a fedora in a matching color scheme.

"This show is unreal!" Marinette said, her eyes sparkling with delight and continuing to take pictures. "This is going to be great for the blog!"

"Honestly, the clothes the models are wearing are practically _garbage bags_ ," Chloé said, clearly unimpressed. "For a Gabriel brand show, this is the worst I've seen it."

"Chloé, careful what you say!" Alya hissed at the blonde.

"Oh come on, Alya," Chloé retorted. "We _all know_ that Marinette's got the talent to put Gabriel's entire empire to shame."

"Aw, thanks, Chloé!" Marinette said, blushing in flattery. "Hey, maybe we should have a fashion show for the club using some of my work?"

"Great idea!" Alya said, still recording the show.

Further up in the stand, hiding in the shadow was someone else. He was wearing a black and red suit. He had large black wings attached to his back, but they were folded up at the moment. The feather-like ends on his wings had two red tips each, and he had black lightning bolts on the sides of his neck. He had a black head cover, and the areas covering his hair and around his eyes were red, too. The suit was red from the waist-up, the exceptions being the elbows down to the hands were black, and there was a large, white broken heart on his chest, while the rest of his suit from the waistline down was black, but the knees down to his feet were red. He had a quiver with red arrows in it. The quiver itself was black, red, and white-striped, and it had a black strap. On the strap was a black and red brooch. He also had a bow in his hand. The handle was white, and the ends had two heart halves, and there were two large spikes that were grey and white as well.

He was eying the rose quartz ring that Marinette was wearing. He asked aloud, "Could that be... The Miraculous Something Four...?"

Once the fashion show was over, the girls had left the stands and started running through the stadium to get to the field. They wanted to try and talk to some of the models. They wanted some info for the blog and maybe take a few selfies with some of the people in the show, too. They wanted to have fun with their work at least.

"I can't wait to talk to some of the models!" Marinette squealed. "It's going to be so much fun! Getting their side of the story in the fashion world will be great information!"

"Yeah! And getting selfies with the mayor's daughter will be _their_ honor." Chloé narcissistically sneered.

"Oh come on, Chloé," Alya said. "We're here for the fashion club blog, not to be kiss-ups!"

As they ran out onto the field, Marinette forgot to watch where she was going, so she bumped into someone. There was a shout from both sides, and Marinette stumbled back a little bit.

Once the glare from the sunlight faded away, Marinette was face-to-face with a boy. He had peach skin with a slight tan to it, which perfectly accentuated his moss green eyes, which glowed like peridots. And his head was topped with a neatly-combed crop of sunny blonde hair, the same shade as Chloé's. Marinette recognized him as one of the models from the show. He was still wearing the last outfit that he had to change into.

Marinette blushed, seeing how cute he was, but she failed to say anything.

"Are you girls nuts?" He asked, quirking brow and giving the girls an unimpressed, if not angry scowl. "Who are you three anyway?"

"Oh, um..." Marinette began, not sure what to say. "Oh, we're no one really important."

"Excuse me?!" Chloé hollered. "Listen up, you! I'm Chloé Bourgeois, the mayor's daughter, and these two girls happen to be my BFF's! We're the François Dupont Lycée Fashion Club, and _we_ want to mingle with the models and get selfies with them so we can write a page for the club blog for our school, got it?"

The boy sighed and said, "Look, I don't care who you are. You can't just go and barge in on set unannounced like that. Even after the fashion show is over, we still have a lot of work to do. You never know when equipment could fall and hit you on the head. Not only that, but we're running around like nuts trying to clean up, so having fans on set isn't a welcome pleasure."

The girls were _not_ amused by this boy's adamant refusal of their request. Chloé especially was not having any of it.

"I'm sorry for us coming onto the field like this, but since it looks like you're not doing anything, what about you? Would you help us out with our blog, please?" Marinette politely asked.

"I'm afraid no means no. We're too busy, so forget about selfies and writing for your blog. I'm sorry." He said, his arms crossed.

His rotten attitude made the girls pretty upset. After that, they angrily left the stadium in an upset huff and were storming down the streets. Chloé was particularly upset, and Marinette was ashamed that she thought that boy was cute.

"What a jerk." Marinette ranted to her friends.

"Who does he think he is?!" Alya asked, upset that she could only work with her footage and Marinette's photos for the new page for the blog.

"That was Adrien Agreste," Chloé scoffed. "One of the models from Gabriel. Apparently he goes to our school, too, as a member of the fencing team."

"Are all models that conceited, Chloé?" Marinette inquired.

"Hah! Hope not." Chloé sneered.

Just then, there was a loud growling noise. Alya and Chloé looked to the source of the noise... Marinette's stomach. Realizing that she was hungry, Marinette blushed, embarrassed.

"Sorry. I forgot to eat before we left. But that's my fault for getting caught up in looking at my parents' wedding album." Marinette said, rubbing the back of her head.

"Look, crepe stand dead ahead!" Alya said as she saw a crepe stall without a line nearby.

"Come on!" Marinette said as she started running for the stand.

"I'm hungry, too," Chloé said. "And crepes are classic. Shall we, Alya?"

"Let's." Alya agreed. The girls then followed after Marinette to go and get a snack.

Marinette was standing in front of the stand, looking over the menu. Alya and Chloé soon caught up, and the former asked Marinette, "Made any decisions?"

"I can't decide. They all look so good!" Marinette said.

"Yeah, looking at all these options, I'm indecisive, too," Alya admitted. "What about you, Chloé?"

"Well, chocolate's always a no-brainer." Chloé commented.

"May I recommend something for you ladies?" The vendor asked.

"Yes, please." Marinette said.

A few minutes later, the girls were now sitting in the park with a picnic blanket beneath them (Chloé _insisted_ on keeping her clothes clean), each holding a crepe of a different type.

Marinette got cinnamon and apples, Alya got chocolate and strawberry, and Chloé peaches and vanilla sugar.

"Alright, so we tear our crepes into three pieces," Marinette explained. "And we also get one piece of each other's crepe, so we can all try all three types and not get jealous of each other."

"Certainly better than biting it and passing it on. Talk about unsanitary!" Chloé said, before giving a giggle.

"Talk about _being prissy_ , Chloé," Alya said, rolling her eyes in amusement. "Anyway, let's eat."

The girls tore into their crepes, and Marinette gave one piece of her cinnamon-apple crepe to her friends, in exchange for one of Alya's chocolate-strawberry pieces and one of Chloé's peach-sugar pieces.

The girls started digging into their food.

"Wow, Alya! You made a good call with chocolate and strawberry. The tartness of the strawberries slices through the dark and rich chocolate spread and really keeps it from sticking to the roof of my mouth." Marinette said after biting into the chocolate-strawberry crepe.

"Couldn't agree more, Marinette," Chloé said, giggling. "The warm cinnamon really compliments these acidic apples. It's like we're in the middle of autumn!"

"I can really get the vanilla in the vanilla sugar in this one, Chloé," Alya commented. "Especially since it doesn't seem like the peaches were perfectly ripe."

"Underripe peaches?! Ridiculous! Utterly ridiculous!" Chloé shouted, taking out her phone. "I'm going to call daddy and..."

 _"DON'T YOU DARE!"_ Alya and Marinette shouted, cuing Chloé to stop and drop her phone back in her bag.

"Chloé, you've got to stop relying on Mayor Bourgeois for everything in your life," Marinette said, trying to reason with her blonde bestie. "You can't blow things out of proportion all the time."

"Ugh, fine," Chloé said. "The crepe is good, since the vanilla sugar compensated for the peaches."

Alya and Marinette sighed in relief. Chloé started laughing happily, and the girls all followed suit. They were enjoying their time together, like the tight-knit trio of friends that they were. Life was good, and they were enjoying it to the fullest to the best of their ability.

Once they finished eating, the girls continued their walk through the park. They wanted to enjoy the fresh air and the sunshine before going back home for the day.

"Man, those were good crepes," Alya said, rubbing her stomach in satisfaction. "Peaches are definitely my fav."

"Apples and cinnamon are a classic combination," Chloé said. "What about you, Marinette?"

"Peaches are definitely great!" Marinette agreed.

As they were passing some street lamps, the figure who had spied on them in the stadium earlier was standing on one of the lamps.

He conjured up a blast of black magic energy and then he used his hand to point it at Marinette.

It rushed at the pigtailed girl and then wrapped itself around her waist, much to her shock and fear. It then picked her up, and Marinette was screaming.

"Marinette!" Chloé shouted.

"Hey, let me go!" Marinette demanded as she struggled to break free.

The black energy blast dropped her. She screamed in fear, scared she was going to hit the ground and get hurt, but then she landed in the arms of the same guy who was watching her earlier. He was standing on top of the gazebo in the park.

Marinette glared at him as he gently put her down on the roof.

"Marinette!" Alya shouted.

"Who _is_ that freak?!" Chloé asked, concerned for her friend.

Marinette's right hand was grabbed by this stranger, who was aiming for the ring on her finger.

"Hand over that ring, little girl." He said, pulling on her arm to try and take the ring off.

"Not even in your dreams!" Marinette shouted, pulling her hand back and glaring at her attacker. "This ring was my maman's, and I am _never_ going to give it to _anyone!_ "

"You've got guts. Impressive," This man said, smirking. "You can refuse and keep that ring if you want, but I won't be able to guarantee that you'll get out of this unharmed if you don't give the ring to me."

Marinette held her ground and refused to back down from this fight. He began yanking on her wrist again to take the ring.

"Let me go! You're hurting me!" Marinette demanded, screaming in pain.

"I'll let go once I get the ring." He said.

 _"Someone help her!"_ Alya shouted, trying to get help and save Marinette.

 _"Can someone PLEASE get over here and help our friend?! We've got a kidnapping in progress! Officer Roger, where are you?!"_ Chloé shouted, angry that her friend was in trouble and no one was helping her out.

Annoyed by the girls' shouts, the man shot demonic energy at the girls, shouting, "Silence!"

The negative energy flowed over the girls, and then they fell onto the ground, unconscious.

"Alya! Chloé!" Marinette shouted. "Someone get me out of here! Please!"

"Give me the ring!" The man said as he continued to pull on Marinette's arm to get the rose quartz ring off.

"No! Never!" Marinette shouted, but then her attacker took hold of the ring and started to slip it off her finger.

Just then, a green object flew out of nowhere and hit the arm of Marinette's attacker. It apparently hurt, and Marinette took the opportunity to back off.

Up in the air was a boy about her age. He was wearing a dark green bodysuit with a hoodie on it. The front of the hood had a silver semicircle. There were red eye designs with black and gold details on the sides of the hood, and below the hood's opening were two locals that were in a lighter shade of green. The goggles he was wearing were black with gold lenses. There were six hexagons in front of the suit, which were light-green. His suit had darker green hexagons that acted as pads for his elbows, shoulders, knees, and hips. He was wearing a bracelet on his right wrist that looked like a turtle. His boots were dark green and they each had an indentation between his big toe.

He caught the object, which looked like the shell of a turtle, and held it. It turned out to be a shield of some sort. It was dark green on one side, but lighter green on the other.

"Tch. So, it's you, Carapace." Marinette's attacker said scornfully.

"Dark Cupid, you and the akumas will _never_ get your hands on the Miraculous Something Four! Not on my watch, dude!" Carapace said as he had his shield ready to fight again.

"Hah. We'll see about that." Dark Cupid said as he took out his bow and arrows.

 _'Akumas? Miraculous Something Four? What are these two talking about?'_ Marinette thought, wondering what was going on.

"Stay out of my way, Carapace!" Dark Cupid said as he shot a few arrows.

Carapace took his hand shield and blocked the oncoming arrows. He then threw his shield like a discus again.

As Dark Cupid dodged it, Marinette was pushed off the gazebo, but luckily she landed in a nearby flower bush, breaking her fall. Marinette sat up, rubbing her behind, but rather than complain, she stood up and ran to go check on her friends.

Carapace and Dark Cupid kept fighting each other. Every time Dark Cupid shot an arrow, Carapace would block it with his shield, then throw the shield at him and catch it again like a boomerang. Flying around in mid-air, ducking and dodging, it was quite a sight to behind.

Dark Cupid caught sight of Marinette running over to Chloé and Alya.

"Alya! Chloé!" Marinette shouted as she made it to the girls.

Dark Cupid smirked. His eyes turned red and he chanted, "Toroldum... Ruinism... Curse all those who love! I summon you, Nooroo!"

He raised his hand and a black energy ball was formed. Dark Cupid then said, "Sneak into their hearts and fool them with hatred!"

He threw the blast at them, and it split in two. The two black energy blasts hit Chloé and Alya.

Marinette looked her friends over as they rose up onto their knees, their heads still down.

"Give us the rose quartz ring, Marinette." Alya said ominously.

"Marinette, give it." Chloé said in a similar tone.

"G-Girls?!" Marinette asked, standing up. "Are you two okay?"

"Hand it over!" Alya said, standing up. Her eyes were now pure white and there were black butterfly markings on her cheeks.

"Give it to us!" Chloé also said as she stood up, with matching eyes and marks.

"Hey, what's going on here?!" Marinette asked. "Girls, don't you remember? We're friends!"

Rather than answer, Alya and Chloé lunged at Marinette with the goal of snagging her ring.

Marinette did not hesitate and ran like the wind to try and escape.

 _'I don't know what's going on, but I know that they're not themselves!'_ Marinette thought, her mind focused on finding a way out of the situation.

Every time one of the girls tried to grab at her, Marinette dodged with ease, but not without flailing and trying to duck her head. She soon ran behind a tree, hoping to find shelter for a little while. Hell, she was even considering _climbing_ the tree just to get away from her possessed friends.

"Watch out! Akumas have possessed the two of them!" Carapace shouted as he fired a white energy blast at the pair.

They stopped in their tracks and were groaning in pain in response to the positive energy. Two orbs of light appeared in their chests, revealing a small purple creature with butterfly wings and a swirl on their heads.

"What the hell are those things inside my friends?!" Marinette asked, her eyes widened in surprise.

"Those are kwamis! They can be pets to either akumas... Or angels," Carapace explained as Marinette looked up to the turtle. "And you're the only one who can get the evil kwami Nooroo and his duplicate out of your friends!"

"What? Me?" Marinette asked.

"Yes, you! Now, Ladybug! You gotta transform into the Love Angel, dude!" Carapace said.

"Wait... Did you just call me "Ladybug?" That's not my..." Marinette began.

Carapace took something out of his pocket and threw it at Marinette, shouting, "Catch!"

Marinette caught a dark red, octagonal box. Looking at it, she asked, "What is...?"

"That's the Ladybug Miraculous!" Carapace shouted as he and Dark Cupid kept fighting.

"What's a Miraculous?" Marinette asked, looking at the box. "And... More importantly, who's Ladybug?"

Marinette opened the box to reveal a pair of stud earrings. They were red with black spots. As soon as the jewelry was revealed, a small creature similar to Nooroo appeared in a flash of red light. She was red with black spots and dark blue eyes.

"Ah! Mouse?! No, a bug?! Bug-mouse?! The hell?!" Marinette screamed.

"Don't worry, Marinette!" She said. "My name is Tikki! I mean you no harm."

Marinette looked at the kwami and back to her friends.

Just then, the inside of the top lid of the box started glowing and an image of an old Asian man with a small mustache and beard wearing regal clothing appeared.

"Marinette Dupain-Cheng. It's time for you to don the earrings of the Ladybug and cast the love spell, "Lucky Wedding Flower," love angel." He said to her.

"Wait, how do you know my name? How did _Tikki_ know my name?" Marinette asked. "And who are you, anyway?"

"I am Master Wang Fu, god of love and the ruler of the angel world," He explained, introducing himself. "Only when the love wave increases can you transform. But you must hurry and put the earrings on in order to save your friends."

Marinette saw Alya and Chloé were gaining on her, and Marinette hurriedly placed the earrings in her ears. She was about to take action when the girls leaped on her and bound her down. Alya had grabbed her ring.

"Hey, let go of me!" Marinette shouted. "I can't let you do this!"

Seeing the state her friends were in, Marinette refused to back down. She thought, _'No! I won't be possessed by akumas! And I won't let these monsters mess with my friends!'_

As memories of all the times she, Alya, and Chloé shared raced through her mind, Marinette grew determined to save her friends and fight back.

 _"No~!"_ Marinette screamed.

Her earrings started glowing brightly and the red flash blinded Alya and Chloé, who backed off since the light was so blinding.

 _"LUCKY WEDDING FLOWER!"_ Marinette shouted.

Tikki flew into one of the earrings, and Marinette underwent a change in her clothes. A red domino mask with black spots appeared on her face, and her clothes changed into a red, floor-length ballgown-style wedding dress that had a black sash around the waistline and black spots on the skirt. The sleeves were puffed and it was a sweetheart neckline. In Marinette's hands was a bridal bouquet consisting of red roses _and_ red geraniums. There was also a black crown on her head and the veil attached was transparent red.

"Wow... This is so beautiful." Marinette said, in awe of her costume change.

As Carapace and Dark Cupid continuing duking it out, the latter noticed Marinette in her new clothes out of his peripheral vision.

"What?! An angel? Here on Earth?! Oh crap... Don't tell me that's the legendary Love Angel Ladybug?!" Dark Cupid complained.

"I knew it!" Carapace said, satisfied that he found Ladybug. "Leave Ladybug alone! I'm your opponent, dude!"

Carapace and Dark Cupid kept fighting with each other.

Marinette, now Ladybug, tried to think about what to do. She was _not_ afraid to attack her friends because she had a hunch it was necessary.

"Now, how to get the Nooroos out of Chloé and Alya..." Ladybug said, trying to think.

She laid eyes on her bouquet and saw a string in the binding. She pulled it, and then the bouquet changed into a yo-yo.

"A yo-yo?" Ladybug asked. She then looked around and tried to find a way out of this situation.

"Hah? How is a yo-yo going to get you out of this mess?" Chloé asked.

"Just hand over the ring and we'll be gone." Alya began.

Ladybug refused to listen to them. Instead, she took her yo-yo and started spinning it around as if trying to form a shield, and then a rainbow-colored light started flowing out from it. Ladybug saw her friends were stuck in their tracks and groaning in pain.

 _'Chloé, Alya! Please, remember all our good times! Our memories of our friendship!'_ Marinette thought. _'Don't let these akumas lead you in the wrong direction!'_

As the circular rainbow light waves bathed the girls, memories ranging from getting ice cream together to shopping, modeling Marinette's designs, working on the blog, studying together in the library, gossiping about boys, having sleepovers, etc.

The memories soothed the looks on Alya and Chloé's faces. The Nooroos, suffering from the pain, shouted, "Hey! What's this awful sensation I'm feeling? Agh, sensory overload!"

The Nooroos flew out of the girls' bodies, formed into one entity, and then flew away in pain, screaming, "Forgive me, Master Dark Cupid!"

He disappeared into a few ripples in the sky.

Dark Cupid put his bow away and said, "Carapace, we'll just have to put this on hold until next time."

"Thought you'd say so, dude." Carapace replied.

Dark Cupid then flew off into the sky and disappeared, too.

"Chloé, Alya..." Ladybug said as she looked over her friends, who were unconscious and lying on the ground.

"Ladybug," Carapace said, getting her attention. "Nice fighting, dudette."

"Thanks, Carapace." Ladybug said, but then she grew tired and collapsed onto the ground, falling asleep.

After what seemed to be a few hours, Marinette heard Chloé and Alya talking to her.

"Marinette? How long are you going to sleep under the tree?" Chloé asked.

Marinette's eyes slowly opened as she saw her friends standing above her.

"Thank goodness! You've come to!" Alya said.

"What the...? Hey, where'd the akumas go?! And where's Carapace?" Marinette asked, sitting up and looking around.

Alya and Chloé looked at Marinette and were confused about what she was saying.

"Alya?! Chloé?! Are you two okay?" Marinette frantically asked.

"Yeah, we're fine," Alya asked. "Did you have some crazy dream?"

"You mean...?" Marinette began, but then she realized that maybe she _did_ dream the whole thing. The Miraculous, the akumas, the dress, _everything_ was probably just a dream. And even if it was not a dream, it seemed that her friends had no recollection of what happened.

"...Yeah, that's all it was. A stupid dream. Basically, in this dream, we were attacked by a bunch of akumas, and they would have won if I hadn't transformed into Ladybug the Love Angel, defeated the akumas, and saved the two of you from possession. Kind of a ridiculous dream, huh?"

Marinette then nervously laughed it off.

Alya and Chloé looked at each other and shrugged. The latter said, "Yeah, ridiculous. Utterly ridiculous. Come on, let's go."

Alya followed after the blonde as the two of them began to leave. Marinette stood there and looked up at the sky, thinking, _'Yeah... just a dream.'_

"Good, they don't remember what happened," A voice said and Marinette looked down in her bag to see Tikki was sitting in it, hiding from fight. "If they remembered, then they would be so scared, confused, everything."

Marinette gawked at the sight of the kwami and then she said, "You're still here, Tikki?!"

"Sure am," Tikki giggled. "You can't become Ladybug without me."

Marinette touched her earlobes to feel earrings, and then her eyes widened.

 _'So... That was NO dream,'_ Marinette thought. _'I don't know what's happening, but... I'm sure I'll learn in time.'_

"Marinette! Are you coming?" Alya shouted back to her friend.

"Oh, coming!" Marinette said as she closed her bag, hiding her kwami away, and then started running after her friends.

* * *

 **And that's the beginning of this 51-chapter story (though I doubt I'll finish it under my circumstances)! The transformation calls are going to be different from Miraculous Ladybug AND I'm going to do the best I can to try and combine the girls' powers in Miraculous Ladybug with Wedding Peach. It won't be an easy feat, and depending on how this story is received, I may or may not continue.**


	2. Bridal Dress Change

**And back to the story of "Wedding Ladybug!" In this chapter, Marinette once again confronts Dark Cupid, who is still after her mother's ring. We'll also get some insight as to what this entire war is about, including the person responsible for leading the side of the akumas - Mayura, who is playing the part of Queen Reine Devila (Reine Devila translates to "Queen Devil" from French! Pretty cool, huh?)**

 **Speaking of Mayura, I'm almost certain that she's going to be Nathalie. After all, who the hell else would Gabriel trust with the brooch that belonged to his missing wife?! Nathalie's the only one who knows that Gabriel is Hawkmoth, and he's so private that I think that his assistant is the only one he's willing to trust. You know how there's personality changes when the holders are transformed? Marinette's more confident and less clumsy as Ladybug, Adrien is more outgoing, cocky, and silly as Cat Noir? Since it's been said that Mayura is going to "make Hawkmoth look like a baby" in comparison, then maybe Nathalie gets more commanding and domineering when SHE'S transformed into Mayura. That's my theory.**

 **Anyway, let's get back to Wedding Ladybug. And for us Adrienette shippers (though I will admit I'm a big Lukanette fan), there's going to be a moment here!**

 **And I have a deal for you: if I can get a minimum of 8 reviews for this story, then you'll see chapter three.  
**

 **And a bit of trivia for the readers about Marinette's ring: the reason I chose rose quartz instead of a ruby for the ring is because rose quartz is a gemstone known for _luck in the love department._ And since ladybugs are symbolic of _good luck, love, and protection_ , I thought this would be the right fit for the story. **

* * *

Marinette was sleeping peacefully in her bed, a smile on her face. She was murmuring about her dreams of becoming a fashion designer coming true, and the respect she was garnering from everyone in the fashion community. The girl tossed in her bed once or twice and she kept on dreaming about her goals in life.

But as she was in dreamland, sinister goings-on were happening in another realm. In a sky of pure black, lightning was flashing at random places, and in the center of this black sky was a castle. The exterior architecture was indigo with dark pink, and the castle had plenty of sharp towers.

"So long as the Miraculous Something Four are intact, then the world will have nothing but loving hearts..." An eerie, feminine voice said.

Girls with feathery wings that were being burned with blue flames were falling down in the black night, screaming in pain.

"And we need to _destroy_ all of them. Then the angels will become mere slaves to us akumas!" The same voice said.

A runway was being flanked by feathers that were blue with pink spots. Out of the black emerged the ruler of the akuma world: Queen Mayura.

Her eyes were pink irises with pink sclera that faded into a deep indigo shade. She also had black eyeliner. She had a light indigo skin tone with dark blue hair. There was a part of it that curled up beneath her left eye. She was wearing a cocktail hat that looked like a peacock feather. It was blue and tear-shaped. There was a light pink mark smack-dab in the middle and there was a light-blue transparent veil that went over her right eye. Her dress was blue and there was a black fuzzy collar. The sleeves on her dresses ended in a point on the back of her hands, too. There was a side slit in the dress's skirt, and the end had rounded points that each had a dark blue and a pink centered spot, resembling the tail feathers of a peacock. The edges were rounded and had transparent light blue material that was identical to that of her hat. She was wearing translucent tights in indigo, but they were opaque from the knees down, and they looked like high-heeled boots, too. She was holding a blue hand fan that was similar to the end of her skirt in design, and a peacock-feather item in her other hand.

Dark Cupid was kneeling before her.

"Lady Mayura, I have detected a very powerful love wave in the human realm," Dark Cupid reported. "There's a chance it could be part of the Miraculous Something Four. But we've hit a bit of a snag."

"A snag?" Mayura asked, quirking a brow. Her voice dropped just one octave, but it was enough for Dark Cupid to get on edge.

"Yes. The angel Carapace has reappeared and intends on getting in the way." Dark Cupid confirmed.

"Carapace..." Mayura murmured.

"It's not just him. We have another opponent: the legendary Love Angel Ladybug." Dark Cupid continued, raising his head to his liege.

"The legendary Love Angel Ladybug..." Mayura murmured once again, not happy about this news.

"But you needn't worry _, ma reine_. I've found a girl that wears a rose quartz ring, and I have my suspicions that it's part of the Miraculous Something Four," Dark Cupid said. "I, Dark Cupid, shall get it for you."

He then vanished in black light, intending on getting Marinette's ring again.

"Find all people who are in love and dispatch them," Mayura recited. "Find anyone _capable_ of loving, and eradicate them."

An image of a bride and groom who had been through a rough ride, their wedding clothes torn, and colored red were falling through the ground, and screaming in fear. They looked like they were in pain.

"More than anything, find couples who are about to be wed..." Mayura continued. "And erase them from existence."

Apparently, Marinette was seeing this image in her dreams because she was having a cold sweat and she was shaking in fear.

"Be hateful towards the love in this world. So long as love exists, those of us with hearts filled with animosity and hate will never know any peace." Mayura finished.

A buzzing noise was heard from Marinette's phone.

 _"Marinette!"_ Tikki shouted, and Marinette shot up in her bed. She was breathing heavily and was looking very panicked.

"T... Tikki...?" Marinette wheezed out. "What happened?"

"You were having a nightmare." Tikki said.

Marinette sighed in relief before lifting up her right hand and staring at the rose quartz ring. Marinette thought back to a few days prior, when the entire incident happened. The encounter with Dark Cupid, meeting Carapace, transforming for the first time... All of it happened so fast that she could not process it right away.

"All this has been happening to me lately... And now I'm feeling something growing in my chest," Marinette said. "I'm not sure what I should be thinking right now. I can't tell if this is a sign of me coming of age or a premonition of disaster..."

"Don't worry, Marinette," Tikki said. "I know you can do it! But shouldn't you be getting ready for school?"

Marinette saw her alarm was still going off. She screamed and got out of her bed, getting ready to get packed for her school time.

"Marinette, are you awake yet?" Tom asked from downstairs.

"Coming, Papa!" Marinette shouted. She grabbed her clutch and opened it up. Tikki flew inside, since she and Marinette designated the clutch as the kwami's hiding spot when in public.

Marinette closed the purse, snatched up her backpack, and opened the trap door. She ran down the stairs in a hurry and saw a bakery box on the kitchen counter.

"For you and the girls for lunch today," Tom explained. "Some fresh miniature Quiche Lorraine that I wrapped up in foil and croissants."

"Thanks, Papa!" Marinette said, taking up another croissant in her mouth. She took the bakery box and dashed out of the house to make a run for the school.

"Geez, I'm going to be late if I don't hurry it up!" Marinette complained, trying to find the fastest way to school. But then she caught sight of something out of her peripheral vision.

There in the window of the convenience store was a jewelry box that had an assortment of rings, But one of them stood out to her: a faux rose quartz ring that was identical to the one that she was wearing. Marinette looked it over and then compared it to her mom's ring.

"Marinette?" Tikki asked, poking her head out of the bag.

Marinette just kept looking at the ring.

Ten minutes later and Marinette made it past the gates. The girl then started running through the schoolyard to try and find her friends.

She soon caught sight of Chloé and Alya lounging against the walls of the building and talking about nothing in particular.

"Alya! Chloé!" Marinette shouted as she quickly jogged over to her friends.

"Hey girl," Alya said as Marinette caught up to them. "Just barely beat the bell again."

"Yeah," Chloé said with a smile. "Typical Marinette."

The girls all laughed at the good-natured teasing.

"Hey, what did you bring?" Alya asked, noticing the box that Marinette was carrying.

"Oh, Papa sent me with some quiche and croissants for us." Marinette said.

"Wow! Can't wait for lunch, then!" Alya said, holding up her lunch box. "Those croissants will be great! Mom sent me with some cold-cut sandwiches using leftovers from the hotel that they didn't want to serve... You might want to talk to Mayor Bourgeois about working with the hotel kitchen staff to take measures to reduce food waste, Chlo."

"Fine, fine," Chloé said, waving it off. "Daddy sent me with some of the freshest food from the hotel. Alya, your mom is a genius."

"Thanks!" Alya said.

"Hey dudettes. What's up?" A voice said and then the girls turned around to see a boy their age.

He had tan skin, short black hair under a red cap, black glasses over golden eyes, and wearing a blue shirt and blue jeans. He also had orange and blue headphones around his neck. And he was wearing several bands on one of his wrists. Nino Lahiffe, the head of the school radio and a DJ in his own right.

"Hey Nino," Alya said. "Just talking about the lunches we brought today. What about you?"

"Adrien's my bro. He's treating me to lunch today." Nino said.

"Adrien... You don't mean Adrien Agreste, do you?" Marinette asked.

"Yeah, that's who I mean. Who else?" Nino said with a laugh.

The girls' faces fell at the mention of the rude blonde model that refused to help them out with their fashion club blog.

"Speak of the devil, here he comes." Nino said as he turned around and saw his best friend coming.

"Hey Nino, who are you talking to?" Adrien asked as he approached.

"Just Alya and her friends." Nino simply said, gesturing to the fashion club.

"Well, well, well, if it isn't the mayor's whiny brat and her flunkies." Adrien said as he smirked at the girls.

 _"Whiny brat?!"_ Chloé screeched, indignant.

 _"Flunkies?!"_ Marinette and Alya shouted, affronted.

Adrien chuckled and said, "Yeah. Only way to describe the two girls who are desperate enough to hang out with the mayor's childish daughter."

"You did _not_ just call me childish!" Chloé angrily spat to Adrien.

"Yeah! Chloé isn't childish... All the time." Alya said, adding that last bit.

"Hey!" Chloé said to Alya, upset.

"Well, you _were_ about to call your dad to complain about underripe peaches the other day..." Marinette delicately mentioned.

"Guilty as charged..." Chloé said, sighing in defeat.

"See what I mean?" Adrien chuckled.

"But we're not flunkies!" Marinette argued, defending herself and Alya. "We don't hang out with Chloé out of desperation, we hang out with her because she's our _best friend!"_

"You girls... You're the best!" Chloé said, about to cry tears of joy.

Adrien smirked and then he looked at the bakery box in Marinette's hands.

"Well, since you're friends with Chloé Bourgeois, then I guess you won't need those fancy lunches." Adrien said as he swiftly took the bakery box, and Chloé and Alya's lunch boxes.

"Hey!" Marinette shouted as Adrien chuckled and ran a few feet away from them. "My papa worked hard on those quiche Lorraine and croissants in the bakery! Give them back!"

"No can do! Besides, since your father owns a bakery, I'm sure there's more where these came from." Adrien said, smirking at Marinette.

"Dude, not cool," Nino said, crossing his arms and leveling a glare at his best friend. "You can't just go and steal others' food."

"Sorry Nino," Adrien said, chuckling. "But with Nathalie keeping me on a strict diet for modeling, I gotta take what she considers to be junk whenever I have the chance."

Adrien then laughed as he ran off with the food, not listening to the girls' protests.

"Why that little...!" Alya grumbled, angry that her mother's cooking went to waste.

"You're going to get it, Adrien Agreste!" Chloé shouted, threatening the model.

Marinette just looked to the ground, depressed at her lunch being taken from her. The girls looked at their pigtailed friend with sympathy, realizing that since their food got stolen, they would have to find another way to get something to eat later.

* * *

Leave it to Chloé to have the girls' backs. Chloé insisted on bringing the girls to the hotel to eat during the school's lunch period. She called up her father and explained that their lunch got swiped by Adrien and told him that they were going to eat at the hotel. Mayor Bourgeois, for his part, insisted on finding a way to punish the boy who stole his daughter's food, but Marinette and Alya told him not to bother because that would be blowing things out of proportion again.

So, there they were at the restaurant in the hotel, eating luxurious food courtesy of Chloé.

"Man, this Chateaubriand really hits the spot!" Alya said as she cut into the beef tenderloin that she was served.

"And I love these potatoes!" Marinette said, eating some garlic-rosemary mashed potatoes that came with her brick chicken.

"I can't get enough of this Salmon en Croute!" Chloé said as she ate the flaky fish.

"Thanks for the treat, Chloé," Marinette said. "I promise not to ask you of this too often."

"Don't worry about it," Chloé scoffed. "We wouldn't have had to do this if Adrien hadn't stolen our food."

"Yeah, but it's not like it was all bad if we can eat like this today." Alya joked as the trio continued eating.

Once lunch was over, the girls tripled back to the school to get to their next classes. Problem was, as they made it into the courtyard, they were surrounded by screaming girls of all kinds. It was obvious that something was going on.

"Hey, what's happening here?" Alya asked.

"What a crowd," Chloé said. "Is some celebrity here?"

The girls managed to peek through the other people and then it turned out the school fencing team was having a practice round in the courtyard.

"Oh, the fencing team," Marinette said. "Now with all of these people in the way, we can't get upstairs to the classroom..."

But then she caught sight of something: she saw Adrien, wearing his fencing uniform, sitting on the stairs and eating some of the quiche that Marinette had brought in.

"Mm! These are delicious," Adrien said as he gulped down a bite. "That place does good work."

"Hey! Adrien Agreste!" Marinette shouted, getting the blonde's attention. "Give me back that box, please!"

Marinette started storming over to the blonde to get her food back, but Adrien shouted, "Look out! It isn't safe to be here in the yard right now!"

"What are you talking about?" Marinette asked as she kept walking over to Adrien. "It's not like there are any balls flying around to hit me in the head."

 _"HEAD'S UP!"_ Someone shouted. On the other side of the courtyard, some of the other boys were playing basketball and throwing the ball against the wall of the building. Unfortunately, in the middle of their fun, the ball had gotten away from them.

"Marinette, watch out!" Alya shouted.

But it was too late. As Marinette turned around to try and dodge the ball, it hit her in the head, knocking onto the ground, and she landed face-first.

"Marinette!" Alya and Chloé shouted.

Marinette was now unconscious from the impact, and she could vaguely hear the voices of her friends in the background.

A little while later, Marinette was feeling peaceful and she started hearing someone talking to her.

 _"Marinette. Marinette, wake up."_ That voice said.

"Um... Papa...?" Marinette asked quietly, her face forming into a smile and feeling the warmth surrounding her. "No... This isn't Papa... But this feels so... So warm..."

Marinette cuddled closer to the source of the comforting warmth and muttered, "I... Want to stay like this forever..."

"Mariboo, pull yourself together!" Another voice said.

Marinette immediately broke out of her trance and then saw that she was being carried like a princess in Adrien Agreste's arms. And she was looking him right in the eyes.

"Thank goodness, you're awake." Adrien said as he was walking with Chloé and Alya to the nurse's office.

"Geez, get it together, Marinette." Alya said, not sure what to think.

Marinette started looking around frantically before looking back to Adrien.

"You okay?" Adrien asked, legitimately concerned.

Marinette screamed and started to struggle to get out of Adrien's arms. She squeaked out, "Please! Let me go! I-I-I'm okay! Please! Just get your hands off me! I'm fine!"

"No, wait! You're hurt! Don't!" Adrien shouted back as he Marinette continued to try finding her way out of his arms.

"Chloé!" Alya said as the blonde came out of the nurse's office.

"No sign of the nurse." Chloé said.

"Well, we'd better start looking. Come on." Alya said, as she gave the "come on" signal to Chloé and then the two started running down the halls.

"The nurse forcing us to come after her? Ridiculous! Utterly ridiculous!" Chloé complained.

"Hey! Alya, Chloé! Don't leave me!" Marinette shouted over to her friends.

Adrien merely sighed. The two looked at each other, and they were both blushing with somewhat embarrassed expressions.

Marinette was lying in the bed with her body under the covers and her face turned away from Adrien. He was standing near the bed and keeping an eye on Marinette.

"This is so stupid," Adrien muttered. "Couldn't either Chloé or Alya have stayed behind? Why do _I_ have to watch over her?"

"Adrien, you don't _have_ to keep an eye on me," Marinette said, turning back to Adrien. "Go back to your fencing practice. I'm fine alone."

"Look, I'm a gentleman," Adrien said turning back to Marinette and crossing his arms. "It wouldn't do for me to leave someone who's been hurt all alone. It's just not in my nature to do that."

Marinette's eyes widened as she gawked at him in surprise. She was not expecting him to be so chivalrous, especially in this day and age.

Adrien blushed and turned his face away, telling Marinette, "Please don't gawk at me like that. I get that enough as it is."

Marinette blushed as this comment, not sure what else to say.

But Adrien smirked and turned back to Marinette, saying, "Oh, I get it: you've fallen for me because I'm just so _damn handsome_."

"Well _of course_ you're handsome. You're a model, so it goes without saying," Marinette said in her defense, still red as a ruby. "But why would I fall for someone like you?"

Adrien's face fell a bit at that comment. He was used to getting compliments about his face and having girls fawning over him, but this was a different reaction. For him, it was both refreshing and a bit upsetting.

Marinette sat up in the bed and said, "Forget it. I'm going back to the classroom, okay?"

"No," Adrien said, coming over to the bed. "You have to stay until the nurse checks you out."

Adrien placed his hands on her shoulders to push her down.

"Hey! Don't do that! Stop touching me, please!" Marinette protested, trying to fight off Adrien. Meanwhile he was trying his best to help her.

But one misstep, and then Adrien accidentally fell on top of Marinette, forcing her to lie down in the bed again with him on top of her.

The two of them were frozen for a second. Marinette's face was redder than an apple and her eyes were wide as teacup saucers. Adrien slowly got up just enough to look Marinette in the eyes.

As he looked into her bluebell eyes, Marinette stared back into his green. They were both blushing something fierce, their mouths slightly open, and staring at each other, neither one blinking. It was an unofficial staring contest between them.

Adrien was on one knee next to the bed, which was against the wall and the window. The light shining on them through the window became striated with colors and it highlighted the pair of teens, giving the scene a more romantic glow. The lights began sparkling over the pair, but neither red-cheeked teen looked away from the other. Not only that, but their hearts were pounding, too.

The entire scene was something out of a fairytale. Like the prince had just met the princess and was completely taken by her beauty.

"I-uh..." Adrien began, about to speak, but then they heard the door to the office open.

He immediately stood up and turned his back while Marinette turned in the bed.

"Over here!" Alya said as she and Chloé brought the nurse over to the bed.

"The girls told me what happened. Are you alright, Ms. Dupain-Cheng?" The nurse asked.

"I... I'm fine." Marinette said, trying to calm down.

"Are you sure?" The nurse asked, feeling Marinette's forehead. "Your face is all red and it seems warm..."

Marinette refrained from replying, letting the nurse think what she wanted. The nurse then felt the pulse near Marinette's wrist and she pointed out, "And your heart rate seems a little on the high side..."

Marinette sat up and said, "I'm fine... Um, healthy as a horse, you know."

But Marinette stole another look at Adrien, who was looking away from the girl.

"That's good," The nurse said, before turning to Adrien. "Thanks for bringing her here and keeping an eye on her, Adrien."

"No problem," Adrien said. "But I guess it doesn't hurt that she has a rock for a head."

Marinette got upset at that comment as Adrien made to leave. The blonde was chuckling, too.

"Excuse me?! A rock for a head?!" Marinette asked, irritated at the comment.

Adrien got to the door, turned back to Marinette, and then said, "FYI, the quiches were great. You might want to lay off them for a little bit, too. See you, Mariboo."

"Don't you call me "Mariboo!" _I hate you!_ " Marinette shouted as she took the pillow up and threw it at Adrien, but he ducked and shut the door.

Later on, the girls were walking through the halls to get back to their classroom. Chloé and Alya were flanking Marinette, and the pigtailed beauty was standing in between them.

"Are you sure you're okay, girl?" Alya asked.

"Yeah. Don't you think you should rest in the office a little more? It wouldn't hurt." Chloé suggested.

"You two were really worried, huh?" Marinette asked, a smile coming on to her face.

"Of course we were, girl. The three of us are BFF's!" Alya said, smiling brightly.

"Exactly!" Chloé agreed.

Marinette blushed, happy to have such friends at her side, and she said, "I'm really glad to have two best friends like you. It really makes my life all the more fulfilling."

"Yeah. Friends forever, and friends _together_ , come what may!" Alya said. The three girls did a group high-five and then they started laughing in delight and joy.

Just then, the school bell rang. Realizing that they were going to be late for class, the girls screamed in fright and then they began to dash through the halls to get back.

Alya slammed the door open, and she slumped down, catching her breath. She stood up, her face away from the room, and said, "Geez. Running around like a pair of headless chickens, and then break period decides to end on us. This bites."

But when Alya looked inside the room, something was _definitely wrong_. Everyone was either slumped against a wall or on their portion of the bench, sleeping or something. Not only that, but they did not look like they were feeling very well. And to top it all off, the room was colored in a disgusting shade of purple.

"What's going on in here, Alya?" Chloé asked. "What the... Why is everyone _sleeping?!_ "

Marinette saw what was happening and then her instincts were kicking in. She began to think, _'Oh no... I'm getting an ominous feeling in here.'_

"Yeah, even the teacher is out cold! Look!" Alya said, pointing to the desk.

"I think I know what's happening..." Marinette muttered.

A black ball of evil energy was formed, and in its place came Nooroo, the top of his wings pointed, and the tail ends of the bottom wings being arrows. And he had a fang pointing out of his mouth.

"Aha! I recognize you!" Marinette said as she stepped forward to confront the little akuma. The others were looking at Nooroo in confusion.

"So, where's the rose quartz ring, little girlie?" Nooroo asked.

"I'm not telling you a thing! What did you do to everyone in here, and _why?_ " Marinette interrogated.

"I'm not telling _you_ a thing, either! Hand over the ring if you know what's good for you!" Nooroo demanded of Marinette.

"No!" Marinette shouted.

Just then, a breeze blew in the room, a wave of black energy attacked Marinette's right hand, and it snatched the ring right off her finger.

"Hey!" Marinette shouted. The ring came back to Dark Cupid, who caught it in his hand. He held it in his fingers and he smirked.

"Dark Cupid! I thought so!" Marinette said, growing stern and angry.

"Well, looks like now I have a piece of the Miraculous Something Four. Nooroo, I'll leave these _kids_ in your hands." Dark Cupid said before vanishing.

Nooroo smirked at the girls.

"Marinette, do you know these freaks?" Alya asked Marinette.

"Can you _please_ bring us up to speed about all of this?" Chloé asked, crossing her arms.

"Girls, make a run for it. I can't explain this now." Marinette said to her friends.

Nooroo started flapping his wings and a furious wind laced with butterflies attacked the girls. They screamed as they were pushed out of the room, and they were slammed against the wall. Chloé and Alya were knocked out again while Marinette was lying against the wall, sitting up.

"Chloé, Alya!" Marinette said, worried about her friends. Tikki came out of hiding and floated next to her holder. "Alright, Tikki, it's time to show those akumas who's boss!"

"That's the spirit, Marinette!" Tikki said with a smile.

 _"Lucky Wedding Flower!"_ Marinette called, activating her earrings and changing into her wedding dress.

Up on the roof of the school, Dark Cupid was examining the ring while smirking and chuckling. But then he noticed something. He infused a bit of akuma energy into the ring, but got no reaction.

"Wait a second... This ring isn't part of the Miraculous Something Four!" Dark Cupid confirmed. He then dropped it on the ground and smashed it with his foot.

"So, destroying private property, huh? For a Cupid, you're a pretty hateful guy!" Ladybug said from a few meters away.

Dark Cupid turned to look at her, still in her beautiful dress, and he angrily said, "Aha! Ladybug."

Dark Cupid took out his bow and arrows and started shooting at Ladybug. Ladybug just barely made it because one arrow sliced through part of her dress, tearing it.

"Crap! My dress!" Ladybug said.

"I'm going to put loads of holes into that dress of yours. Though I admit that it's a beautiful one." Dark Cupid sneered as he began to fly and shoot arrows again.

Ladybug kept ducking and dodging the arrows. She turned her bouquet into a yo-yo again and used it as a shield to block the arrows by spinning it around. But the dress was weighing her down and keeping her from moving very quickly.

 _'How am I supposed to fight in something like a wedding dress?!'_ Ladybug thought, not sure what to do. But her shoe caught on the roof and she fell backwards and onto her rear.

Dark Cupid was now flying above her and about to shoot again.

Ladybug held her yo-yo up to defend herself again, but once again a green shield came out of nowhere and hit Dark Cupid in the head.

"Now what?" Dark Cupid complained, rubbing his head in pain.

Once again, Carapace had arrived to help. His shield came back and he caught it in his hand.

"Carapace! Perfect timing!" Ladybug said.

"Not again!" Dark Cupid Complained, readying an arrow at Carapace.

"Listen, Ladybug! You've got to change your dress!" Carapace shouted before blocking another arrow from Dark Cupid.

"Don't you _dare_ get in the way!" Dark Cupid shouted as he started flying at Carapace and shooting arrows at the turtle.

Carapace had his shield up and was blocking arrow after arrow.

"Hurry up and change clothes!" Carapace shouted down to Ladybug.

"What do you mean?" Ladybug asked. "How am I supposed to change clothes out in the open like this?!"

"Just turn into the _fighting Angel!_ The activation phrase comes up in your head on instinct!" Carapace called back as he and Dark Cupid continued to fight.

"Become the fighting..." Ladybug began, but then she turned around to see Nooroo was about to attack her. She screamed.

 _"Wedding Dress Transform!"_ Ladybug shouted, activating another sequence in her earrings. _"Angel Creation Ladybug!"_

Her wedding dress started glowing white, and her veil and dress disappeared and was changed into a skin-tight red jumpsuit with black spots, flats, and she still had her yo-yo on hand.

"Wow! She transformed into the fighting angel!" Nooroo said, a bit shaken at the costume change.

"Well, this suit is certainly more practical." Ladybug said with a smile.

Nooroo flew at Ladybug at high speed and he said, "I'll kill you where you stand, angel!"

Ladybug, with her enhanced reflexes and her coordination, kept dodging Nooroo's dive-bombing and used her yo-yo as a shield whenever necessary.

"Darn it! Now what? How do I fight off this thing?!" Ladybug asked.

"Ladybug! Use your yo-yo and fire your love wave!" Carapace shouted as he kept flying around and dodging/blocking arrows from Dark Cupid.

Ladybug let this instruction sink in and then she realized what she had to do.

She opened up her yo-yo and it started glowing white. She began spinning it like a shield and she said, _"Ladybug Bridal Blast!"_

The white light collected into the center of the circle she created and then a giant white blast of her love wave was fired from the center. It hit Nooroo straight on, and he screamed in pain.

Once the blast was over, he was knocked away, and there were some lingering sparkles in Ladybug's yo-yo as she retracted it.

"That worthless little..." Dark Cupid began.

"Forgive me, Master Dark Cupid!" Nooroo begged.

"Ugh, fine. If the ring isn't part of the Miraculous Something Four, then it's pointless to stay. Come on, let's get out of here!" Dark Cupid said, putting away his arrows and flying off into the sky. Nooroo was following close behind him, pleading for Dark Cupid to slow down.

"That ought to keep them at bay for a while." Ladybug said, her hands on her hips in pride.

Carapace landed on the roof and approached Ladybug.

"Great job, dude. You fought like an expert today." Carapace said as he held his hand out for a fist bump.

Ladybug responded in kind, while saying, "Thanks, Carapace. I certainly had him fooled, huh?"

Carapace gave Ladybug a questioning look, and then he asked, "What do you mean?"

"Well, I was worried he would try to get my ring again," Ladybug said, taking out another identical rose quartz ring. "So I let him steal a phony one that I got at a convenience store today while I hid the real one in my pocket."

Carapace started laughing, before saying, "You're pretty clever, dude."

Ladybug laughed again in response to Carapace's compliment.

Once everything was over, Chloé and Alya woke up from a nap, once again unable to remember what had happened.

"Geez... Can someone tell me why we're sleeping on the filthy hallway floors?" Chloé complained, standing up and stretching. She was dusting herself off.

"I don't know. I guess we just got so tired from today's events that we fell asleep without any concern about where we were sleeping," Alya said as she stood up. "Today was pretty weird, huh?"

"No kidding." Chloé said, rolling her eyes in annoyance.

Out in the schoolyard, which was void of students, Marinette was leaning up against the wall and looking at the ring. Tikki was not hiding and she was also floating next to her holder, also staring at the jewelry piece.

"What _is_ the deal with this ring, Tikki?" Marinette asked Tikki. "Why does this Dark Cupid guy want it so much? And now that we're on the subject, what are the Miraculous Something Four?"

"I wish I had all the answers, Marinette. But I'm only a kwami." Tikki said.

The pair stared at the ring for a few more seconds before looking up to the sky. Marinette was a little worried. It felt like her situation was the kind that the more information you got, the more questions that came up as a result. And since it was clear that this Dark Cupid was not going to be leaving her be for a while, Marinette knew that she had to be on her guard.

* * *

 **And that's all she wrote for chapter 2! Now, for those of you who have seen Wedding Peach, you'll notice that the usual conflict between the girls of fighting over the soccer team captain has been omitted, and I kind of made Adrien into a bit of a jerk. That's Yosuke Fuuma's personality, but I'll try my best to dial it back for the sake of keeping Adrien in character.**

 **Speaking of whom, Cat Noir's not going to be showing up in this story until later. _A lot_ later (as in starting in the last fifteen or so chapters of this story). But keep an eye on anything unusual about Adrien regardless.**

 **In the upcoming chapter, Marinette and company are helping Tom cater desserts, but Ladybug's got to take the stage when Dark Cupid gets up to his evil doings again.**

 **Remember: 8 reviews at minimum, and you'll see chapter three.**


	3. Possessed Bride

**Coming up on "Wedding Ladybug," Marinette is helping her dad out catering a dessert buffet and wedding cake to a major wedding reception at Hotel Particulier Apicius, and** **Chloé and Alya and there helping, too (though it's hard to imagine Chloé getting her hands dirty).**

 **But problems begin occurring not only because Adrien is there as a guest for the wedding and giving Marinette a hard time, but the bride gets possessed and it's up to Ladybug to force Nooroo out and put a halt to Dark Cupid's scheming again.  
**

* * *

"Morning, girls!" Marinette said as she left her house through the bakery storefront.

Chloé and Alya were in front of the building. They would always make time to try and meet up with each other and walk to school together. Sure, they all lived in different directions, but they had a common rendezvous spot: in front of Marinette's house. It also helped that Marinette's house was the closest to the school.

"Morning, girl," Alya said with a smile. "Ready for another day?"

"Yep!" Marinette said. "How about you, Chloé?"

"I'm looking forward to updating the blog! Did you get any designs done over the weekend, Marinette?" Chloé asked.

"Yeah, I did and I have the photos on my phone. With Alya's writing skills and Chloé's modeling, this update will be the best!" Marinette said, holding up her phone.

Marinette felt very relaxed. It had been a few days, but Dark Cupid and Nooroo had not attacked since they tried to steal her ring at school. But as always, she was on her guard and worried about whether or not those two akumas would strike again. And what was eating at her was that she did not tell Chloé and Alya anything about being a Love Angel. Complicating the matter was that it always seemed that any damage that occurred when the akumas attacked was erased after Marinette defeated them, and no one would remember anything that occurred, Chloé and Alya included.

 _'Oh, if only Alya and Chloé were Love Angels, too...'_ Marinette thought as she and her friends kept walking to the school.

"Speaking of modeling, I'm kind of tempted to ask Adrien to see if he could model a few pieces for the blog. He may not have helped us out during that fashion show, but maybe he'll help us out now." Alya suggested.

Marinette and Chloé just looked at their bespectacled friend in awe and shock, completely blown away that their friend would suggest asking Adrien for help, especially considering how rude he was to them.

"...Said _no one ever!_ " Alya continued, before laughing.

Marinette and Chloé joined in on the guffawing once they realized that Alya was yanking their chains.

Once they entered the building doors, they were once again greeted by a crowd of screaming girls and seeing light flashes going off from the center.

"Ugh, not again... Don't girls know not to block the door?!" Chloé complained as the trio tried to weave their way through the crowd.

As soon as they emerged from the sea of girls, they saw what all the commotion was about: it was a photoshoot on school grounds. And not just any photoshoot, but a Gabriel photoshoot. And as to be expected of a Gabriel photoshoot, the model of the hour was none other than Adrien.

Alya got her phone out to record the shoot and take pictures for the club blog. Meanwhile, Marinette asked, "Why is there a photoshoot at school? Couldn't they have done it somewhere else?"

"Apparently this is for a line of clothing for school boys!" A girl said from beside Marinette. "So I guess their thought process was what better place to shoot for school clothes than at a school?!"

Marinette groaned. From what she could garner from her interactions with him, Adrien had a big enough ego as it was. This photoshoot plus hordes of screaming girls was only going to add fuel to the fire. She had to face-palm.

Marinette then caught sight of a young man in his twenties who was at the photoshoot. He was tall with a nice broad build and he had shiny black hair. Not only that, but his hazel eyes were handsome, too. Apparently he was the director, and he was writing things down on a clipboard.

Marinette quirked a brow and wondered: where had she seen him before?

* * *

The girls rendezvoused in their designated club room, discussing the photoshoot. Marinette was sketching in her book in the meantime, trying to think of new designs for her to make.

"I still don't believe that there was a photoshoot at school," Alya said as she was writing up the article for the blog. "What were they thinking? It was disrupting everything."

"I know," Chloé said, leaning her hand on the desk. "Especially since that photographer is getting married this weekend."

"What's that about the photographer?" Marinette asked, looking up from her book to ask her friends.

"The photographer that was here today? I think his name was... Pierre le Tableau? Anyway, I heard through the grapevine that he's getting married at the Hotel Particulier Apicius this Saturday to his bride Bijou. Since he's an employee at Gabriel, they're making a _pretty_ big deal out of it." Chloé said.

"Wow, talk about a coincidence," Marinette said as she spun in her chair to face her friends. "That's actually the wedding dad's catering this weekend, and he asked me to help out. Since it's such a large group, he needs my help with this order."

"How many people?" Alya asked.

"Well, not counting the bride and groom and their families, it's about 300 people. They wanted a cake _and_ a dessert buffet." Marinette said.

"Wow, talk about going big or going home," Chloé said, her eyes wide in surprise. "No wonder they didn't book it at daddy's hotel. There wouldn't have been enough space for that many people."

Marinette nodded and said, "I'm not sure if dad and I can handle it alone."

"Girl, you can bet that I'll pitch in to help." Alya said with a smile.

"Count me in, too." Chloé said, crossing her arms.

"You?" Marinette asked. "I can understand Alya, but Chloé, you're not the type of girl to get your hands dirty."

"Oh come on," Chloé said, hands on her hips. "I may not like ruining my manicure, but when it comes to the two of you, I'm willing to dabble in dessert distribution."

"You really are a great friend," Alya said. "So, tell us the time we need to be there to help out?"

"Okay! I'll let dad know." Marinette said as she texted out a message to her dad, telling him that Chloé and Alya would be pitching in to cater the order on Saturday.

Once she sent the message, Marinette thought back to the dream she had the day Dark Cupid attacked the school: if the akumas were targeting love in general with the intention of eradicating it, then she had to be extra careful. A wedding was the perfect spot for romance to blossom, and with both her best friends _and_ her father being in the crossfire of a potential danger zone, it was all the more reason to keep her guard up.

* * *

That Saturday, Marinette and her father had started setting up the dessert buffet table. The centerpiece of the buffet was a giant wedding cake. The cake was five tiers tall, covered in ivory fondant, had gum paste decorations that were pressed into a mold and then placed onto the cake. The shapes were primarily molded flowers of several different types. There were also wafer paper flowers decorating the cake, and big, beautiful wafer paper roses on the top of the cake in a variety of colors, mostly shades of pink.

"The cake looks great, dad!" Marinette said. She and her dad were wearing uniforms for the bakery that Marinette designed and made all by herself. "The bride and groom are sure to love it!"

"Yeah!" Alya said as she was wearing the same uniform. She was also holding a plate with some of the desserts. They ranged from petit fours to éclairs and macarons, too.

"You sure your dad shouldn't sell the bakery and come work for daddy?" Chloé asked with a smile, also wearing the uniform and carrying a plate of desserts. "After all, his skills would definitely be appreciated at the hotel!"

"That's very nice of you, Chloé, but I'm happy with what I have," Tom said. "Besides, I'm sure Alya's mom is no slouch in the dessert department."

"You've got that right!" Alya said. The trio of girls were laughing.

Marinette took up a platter and started to walk around the floor to distribute the treats.

When she was not looking, a few of the macarons were taken from the plate. She soon noticed a few of the treats were missing and then she said, "Hey!"

"What? It's not like you made these for yourself," A familiar voice said and Marinette turned around to see none other than Adrien Agreste, wearing a nice suit, likely a Gabriel suit. He took a bite of the macaron and smiled. "These are good."

"Adrien Agreste..." Marinette said, narrowing a glare. "I don't believe it... You came over here and took some of the treats from this plate just to get under my skin, didn't you?"

"No, I didn't see that it was you," Adrien said, waving his hands in surrender. "I was just doing my rounds and I saw that these were here. So, I helped myself."

Marinette face-palmed before asking, "What are you even _doing_ here at this wedding?"

"I could ask you the same thing," Adrien chuckled. "This _is_ a wedding for an employee at Gabriel, so I'm here along with some of the other workers as guests."

 _'Figures...'_ Marinette thought before taking the plate out of Adrien's reach and saying, "Well, since you model for the company, I guess you won't be needing any of these éclairs."

"Oh come on!" Adrien laughed, playing along with what he _thought_ was a joke. "They're delicious. Besides, seeing you in that cute little uniform is a sight for sore eyes."

Marinette looked down at herself and saw that her uniform was pretty figure-hugging, and then she blushed before saying, "Hey! Who are you to say that?!"

"Someone who has an eye for fashion," Adrien snickered. "But no kidding, that uniform is great."

Marinette said, "Th-Thanks... I designed it myself."

Adrien's eyes widened and he said, "You _made_ that? Wow, that's impressive."

Marinette looked Adrien over and detected no hint of teasing or sarcasm in his expression or voice. She asked, "Really?"

"Yeah, I seriously thought a pro designer made those uniforms," Adrien said, a smile coming on to his face. "You've got talent."

"Thank you." Marinette said, a smile growing on her face.

"But what are you even doing here?" Adrien asked, before munching on another macaron.

"Dad asked me to help out because he was hired to cater the desserts to this wedding reception. He even made the cake." Marinette said.

Adrien grew a wistful smile on his face and his eyes grew a bit misty, before saying, "It's really great of you to pitch in and help your father out."

Marinette noticed how genuine Adrien was sounding and was wondering if he was being sincere with his compliment about Marinette helping her father out. She said, "You mean it?"

"Sure do," Adrien said. "But the crowd is so huge. You sure you two are going to be fine handling this alone?"

"Yeah. Chloé and Alya are here to help, too." Marinette said, thumb-jerking to the crowd.

"Really?" Adrien said, an amused expression on his face. He started to chuckle. "You're kidding me! Chloé Bourgeois, the mayor's brat, getting her hands dirty working with desserts?! That's a riot!"

"It isn't a joke!" Marinette sternly said.

Adrien calmed down from his roaring laughter and wiped a tear from his eyes. He saw someone out of the corner of his eye and said, "Oh, there's someone I haven't greeted yet. I'd better go. See you later, Mariboo."

Adrien walked away and Marinette said, "What?! "Mariboo?!" My name is _Marinette!_ Marinette Dupain-Cheng, you dolt!"

"Sure, whatever, Mariboo!" Adrien said as he disappeared into the crowd.

 _'UGH! I can't stand that guy!'_ Marinette thought, shaking in her shoes with rage. But she took a deep breath and calmed down, lest she drop her desserts. That would be bad.

"Marinette, who was that?" Tikki asked, peeking out of the pants pocket of the uniform.

"Adrien Agreste... The biggest nuisance I've ever met in my whole life." Marinette scoffed.

"Don't let him get to you, Marinette," Tikki said. "You said it yourself last night: a wedding is a hot spot for love. If Dark Cupid and Nooroo are likely to attack anywhere today, then there's a high possibility that it will be here."

Marinette smiled and said, "You're right, Tikki."

"Marinette! We need more éclairs over here!" Chloé shouted from the other side of the room.

"Coming!" Marinette said as Tikki went back to hiding and then the pigtailed girl started walking over to Chloé's position.

The girls were soon standing off to the side and listening as the family of the newlyweds were making their speeches. Marinette herself had her eyes on the wedding dress and tux that the bride and groom were wearing. The tux itself was simplistic enough. It was a standard black and white tuxedo with a black bow tie and a white rose boutonnière. As for the bride, she was wearing a pure white off-shoulder trumpet dress with wrist-length sleeves, and she had a bedazzled bodice and matching sash with sparkling embroidery. And the veil was lace with rhinestones at the hem.

Marinette was in pure awe at the beauty of the bride's dress, her eyes aglow with intrigue and a desire to get closer to the bride to get a picture of the dress to use as reference materials for her designs.

"Isn't the bride absolutely beautiful? The dress is gorgeous!" Marinette whispered to the girls from the side.

"And the groom's no slouch in the looks department, either." Chloé commented.

"Amen to that, ladies." Alya agreed.

The girls all giggled quietly, happy that the newlyweds looked ravishing in their clothes and that they were going to start a new chapter in their lives.

"Someday that will be me up there..." Marinette quietly said. "With a hunka man of a husband to share my adult life with."

"Not to mention a dress you made yourself," Alya said. "No doubt your sewing skills would make him drool."

"Obviously. And it should go without saying that when _I_ get my wedding day, you'll be the one designing _my_ dress, Marinette," Chloé said. "I won't compromise on that. Honestly, not even Gabriel can compare to your talent."

"Agreed. If I want _anyone_ to design my dress, it's going to be you, Marinette." Alya agreed.

"Aw, thanks, girls," Marinette said, blushing. "I should have brought my sketchbook. I could have started drawing some prototype sketches for the dresses!"

"Save that for after the wedding's over, Marinette," Alya said. "Right now we're just the help at the wedding. So let's just dare to dream right now."

"Okay!" Chloé said. The girls shared a group high-five and then all sighed at the prospect of their own weddings.

Out in the garden area where more of the guests were socializing, Dark Cupid was hovering nearby in the bushes, with plans to ruin the entire reception.

"Find all people who are in love and dispatch them. Find anyone _capable_ of loving, and eradicate them. More than anything, find couples who are about to be wed, and erase them from existence. Be hateful towards the love in this world. So long as love exists, those of us with hearts filled with animosity and hate will never know any peace." Dark Cupid recited, remembering the rules that Mayura had told him.

Back inside, the wedding was proceeding with a digital slideshow that illustrated the love story between Pierre and Bijou. The pictures ranged from their childhoods to their teen years, and everything in between. It also included pictures of how they met and how they started dating. The girls were awestruck at how close the bride and groom seemed to be, even before their wedding. It was truly beautiful.

Marinette looked on at the scene in pure bliss and was delighted that she was a witness to the glowing joy that the newlyweds were radiating.

"Isn't this wedding perfect?" Marinette asked her two best friends.

"It is," Alya said. "The perfect day for a wedding."

The lights came back on and then everyone was going back to socializing and eating the food.

"Okay! Dad's got the cake handled, so I'm going to go and take some pictures of the tux and dress!" Marinette said, taking out her phone and beginning to weave her way through the crowd.

"Go for it, girl!" Alya said.

"And don't trip in front of the bride!" Chloé warned. "You'll make me look bad!"

"How is she going to make _you_ look bad by tripping, Chloé?" Alya asked, with a quirked brow and a curious smile.

Chloé faltered at that question. Alya had a point...

Marinette started going in between the people, excusing herself if she had bumped into anyone and trying her best to be polite to everyone. She was originally only the help, but now she was there as an aspiring designer to get new inspiration materials.

Once she found a clearing that led straight to the bride and groom, Marinette raised her phone camera to take a picture. But just as she was about to hit the button and snap a pic, Adrien came in front of the lens and smiled at her.

"Hey! What are you doing?" Marinette said, lowering her phone screen and looking at Adrien in surprise.

"Well, you wanted to take photos of me at that fashion show that one time, right? Here's your chance to get a picture of me, Mariboo." Adrien offered, smoothing the back of his hair and smiling with his eyes closed.

Marinette rolled her eyes and said, "No. I'm trying to get pictures of the couple of the hour."

Not one to get discouraged, Adrien smirked and struck a few poses, asking, "How about this? Maybe this? What about like this?"

Marinette face-palmed, then looked Adrien in the eye and said, "I told you that I won't take your picture. Understand?"

Adrien started to chuckle a bit, thinking that getting a rise out of Marinette was entertaining. He said, "Well, Mariboo, if a pic of me isn't going to satisfy you, what would you like?"

She rolled her eyes and once again said, "What I _want_ is to get a picture of the bride's dress, so could you please move?"

Adrien blinked owlishly at Marinette as she looked at him straight in the eyes and told him what she was thinking.

As the two of them were having an unofficial staring contest, Bijou and Pierre were being surrounded by happy partygoers who were wishing them well in their married life together, talking about how they fell in love, etc.

"Hey, how about we have a quasi-photoshoot with our groom as the photographer?!" The best man declared.

Everyone started clapping and clamoring in agreement. Marinette squealed with delight and she said, "A wedding photoshoot?! This I have to see!"

Marinette started to run towards the scene, hoping to get in on the action.

Outside the venue, Dark Cupid was hovering near the window and he had sensed the love waves that everyone was giving off. It made him sick to his stomach.

"Hah! It's foolish to let love rule your whole world. Especially since it's going to be extinct. That's Mayura's greatest desire, and as she is _ma reine_ , her will is my command," Dark Cupid said. His eyes started glowing red and he conjured up a black ball. "Toroldum... Ruinism... Nooroo, who curses those who love, sneak into their hearts and fool them with hatred!"

He then tossed the ball into the building and waited with a wicked smirk on his face.

Back inside, the groomsmen and the bridesmaids were lining up with the groom using his professional-grade camera to take photos. The bride was standing behind the groom, happily watching him do his job for fun.

But no one noticed the black orb of light weaving its way through the entire room. And it was headed _straight_ for Bijou.

"So, I heard through the grapevine that Bijou fell for her handsome groom when she saw how passionate he was about his photography..." The best man said, as the black energy snuck up behind Bijou and then blasted itself inside her chest.

Bijou went still as she flashed blue.

"...Am I remembering it right, Bijou?" The best man asked Bijou.

The bride's eyes slowly narrowed into a glare and her eyes flashed red. She looked _pretty_ angry.

"You can't be serious, can you?" Bijou said, her voice dropping a few octaves. She then pointed at Pierre. "Just the _sight_ of that turd makes me _sick!_ "

Everyone gasped in shock and they were all gawking at Bijou. Pierre, dumbstruck, dropped his camera and the lens broke.

"Pierre's got too many marks on his personal rap sheet. Childish, rude, cruel when pushed to it, and that's just the beginning!" Bijou said.

"Bijou! Sweetheart! What's wrong?" Pierre asked, reaching out to hold Bijou's hand, but she slapped it away.

"Don't you _dare_ even think of putting your hands on me, you fool. As if I'd marry _you!_ " Bijou spat.

"What are you talking about?!" Pierre asked, his voice beginning to crack. He then held her shoulders. "But aren't we hopelessly in love with each other?!"

"Hah! Hopelessly in love? Don't be an idiot. As if _that's_ going to matter once reality sets in." Bijou said as she shoved Pierre onto his back onto the floor a few meters in front of her.

"Bijou, what's going on?!" The bride's mother asked.

"This is a first. We've never seen you act like this before!" Her father said.

" _Mère, père_ , stay out of my way!" Bijou said, her eyes flashing red and red markings appearing on her cheeks. She raised her hand and then her parents started groaning in pain and holding on to her heads.

Everyone else was watching in shock, surprise, and confusion.

"Why is she acting so insane?" Alya asked, with Chloé shrugging in confusion.

Marinette murmured, "Don't tell me..."

She wanted to get a better look and figure out if her instincts were right, but how was she going to get to the bride without getting hurt. As she was pondering this, Tikki peeked out of her hiding place.

"Marinette, press a finger to one of your earrings!" Tikki whispered. "You'll be able to see whether or not there are akumas around!"

Marinette followed Tikki's instructions and then she pressed one of her earrings. Just then, a red and black-spotted tablet-like device appeared in front of Marinette's face. No one else could see it but her. The device acted like an X-ray screen, and Marinette focused the screen onto the bride.

Sure enough, Nooroo was inside her, making mischief and manipulating Bijou.

"I thought so! Nooroo's in there!" Marinette declared.

Bijou, her eyes blank white and red markings on her cheek, declared, "Love is deceitful, but hatred is genuine through and through!"

Bijou pointed an open palm to the crowd and black energy bolts were flying through the air. Alya and Chloé inhaled the fumes and they began coughing.

"Girls!" Marinette shouted, worried about her friends.

"Mariboo!" Adrien shouted as he ran over to Marinette, held her by the shoulder and made to cover her. "Don't just stand there! Run!"

"Adrien..." Marinette said, looking at Adrien in surprise.

"The two of you just get out of my sight!" The bride shouted.

Bijou blasted at them again, and Adrien grabbed Marinette, jumped out of the way, and they tumbled onto the floor. Since she knew he was protecting her, Marinette did not complain.

Just as she was about to thank Adrien, he covered her mouth with his hand and then he weakly said, "Mariboo... Hold your breath and make a break for it."

Marinette looked around and saw everyone who inhaled the fumes were slumped into chairs, or sprawled out on the floor. This included Alya, Chloé, and Tom. The cake had been wrecked and one of the tiers was busted, and desserts were scattered all over the floor.

 _'Dad... Girls!'_ Marinette thought.

Adrien went slack and then he collapsed, his head landing on Marinette's knees.

"Adrien? Adrien!" Marinette shouted. "Are you okay?! Talk to me!"

Marinette started to cry out of fear for Adrien's well-being. Tikki was trying not to come out in case she would get thrown unconscious by the fumes, too.

As the best man kept stumbling around, trying to resist whatever was going on, he accidentally hit the button for the digital slideshow to be activated again.

"Hah! Human beings in love... Nothing is more paltry," Bijou said, and Marinette glared at the possessed bride as Bijou made for the door to another part of the venue. "So... I'm going to eradicate every trace of love in this entire location."

As Bijou left out the door, Marinette gently laid Adrien down and she stood up. She said, "Not on my watch!"

Tikki flew out from hiding and told Marinette, "We've got to stop that... Um... "Bridezilla" I think?"

"Yeah, that's the right word," Marinette said, agreeing with her kwami. _"Lucky Wedding Flower!"_

After transforming into her wedding dress, Ladybug ran out after Bijou to put an end to the hatred epidemic.

But apparently Dark Cupid sensed that she had transformed because he was standing on the roof and he muttered, "Wait a second... What am I feeling?"

Bijou had arrived into a larger room in the hotel, a conference room that had become the meeting point for several wedding couples to gather together. Bijou soon came in and then she saw how happy everyone was.

"Well now... Let's see how you are when you're all _hating_ one another!" Bijou shouted as she blasted her akuma energy onto everyone.

Once the black magic sunk in, everyone's faces turned from happy and lovesick to angry and hateful.

"Hey! Who is this hideous sow?!" One groom shouted to his bride, glaring at her. "Honestly, get three weeks' worth of spa treatments before putting on a wedding dress!"

Glaring back, the bride claimed, "Oh, please! You want to talk bad-looking? Then look in a mirror. A few years of bodybuilding won't bulk you up even a _millimeter!_ Who would marry a lanky stick like you?!"

The two grooms in a gay couple were throwing insults at each other and were about to have it out.

"As if I'd ever marry someone who eats me out of house and home every damned day!" One man said as he yanked his groom up by the jacket lapels with the intent on decking him.

The other groom asked, "Oh yeah?! What was I thinking, saying "yes" when you put this tacky ring on my hand?!"

The same thing was occurring with a lesbian couple, too. The two women were clawing at each other, roaring and hissing like two cats about to fight, firing off cruel words to each other and intending to do each other in if pushed to it.

"That dress makes you look fatter than a cow!" "Hah! The color of _your_ dress makes you look like a washout!"

Bijou was laughing in triumphant mania as she watched everyone fighting with each other. This was part of her goal.

"Nooroo..." Dark Cupid said as he landed next to the possessed bride.

"Yes, Master Dark Cupid?" Nooroo asked from inside the bride.

"I'm sensing the love wave of the Miraculous Something Four nearby, so be on your guard." Dark Cupid advised.

"Don't worry, Master," Nooroo said, as his and Bijou's voices were speaking in conjunction with each other. "I'm going to make sure these couples hate each other enough to destroy their love!"

"Oh no you don't!" Ladybug shouted from at the door. Dark Cupid and Bijou turned around and saw Ladybug standing at the threshold of the door, glaring at them with determination to fight.

"Damn, not you again!" Dark Cupid said. "Nooroo, take her out!"

"On it!" Nooroo said as he leaped forced and forced Bijou to shoot akuma energy at Ladybug.

She ducked the blast, jumped at Bijou, and then she said, "Bijou! Don't let Nooroo take you over!"

Bijou paused and gave Ladybug a questioning look.

"Remember how you met Pierre and your love for him!" Ladybug said as she transformed her bouquet into a yo-yo and she started spinning it like a shield.

She created a rainbow love wave and it started bathing the bride. She held on to her head in pain and began to groan. Meanwhile Nooroo was suffering from the pain created by the love wave, too.

Bijou's face relaxed and she murmured, "Remember..."

She started having flashbacks. There was one time when Bijou had been lounging on a park bench and reading a book when she heard a shutter go off from her left. She looked up form her book and turned around to see Pierre, who had taken a photo of her. He embarrassedly admitted that he found her expressions very photogenic and could not help but take a picture. That comment made Bijou blush and then the pair hit it off from there.

Their dates would consist of picnics in the park whenever they had a chance, impromptu photo shoots with Bijou as the subject, walks along the Seine, dates at restaurants, dances, concerts, the whole bit. They were always filled with laughter, cheer, blushes, kisses and hugs.

Ladybug could feel all the loving memories and emotions flowing out from Bijou, and it made the spotted girl feel calmer and more relaxed, too. She kept spinning her yo-yo, radiating more of her love wave to get Bijou to snap out of it and change her back to the loving woman she was.

Bijou's face went back to normal as she woke up from Nooroo's interference, and then she remembered the day Pierre popped the question to her. He brought her to the bench in the park where they first met, he got down on one knee and gave her a diamond ring. Once he asked those four words, Bijou leaped onto him, kissed him senseless and he slipped the ring onto her ring finger. It was a perfect fit.

Bijou started crying tears of nostalgia as Nooroo's hold over her was lost. She kept repeating her fiancé's name over and over again, regretting everything that she had said and done to him and all of their guests at the wedding.

"I knew it!" Ladybug said as she saw Bijou wake up. "I knew you'd come through!"

But Nooroo, in spite of the lingering pain from the love wave, smiled evilly and made a few motions with his body. He took control of Bijou again, and she glared up at Ladybug.

"Alright, that tears it, Nooroo! I'm forcing you out of there!" Ladybug said as she put her yo-yo away. _"Wedding Dress Transform!_ _Angel Creation Ladybug!"_

She took her yo-yo out again, opened it up as it began glowing white, started spinning it once more, and she began generating a white blast from inside her shield.

 _"Ladybug Bridal Blast!"_ Ladybug shouted as she blasted the white love wave energy at Bijou. She screamed - or rather, Nooroo screamed from inside her. The sensation of Ladybug's love wave was too much for him, and then he flew out like a butterfly out of hell. And Bijou collapsed backwards onto the floor, exhausted from all of the strain Nooroo put on her.

"Ack! Too powerful! Can't take it!" Nooroo shouted as he flew out the window of the building and into the sky.

"So, Dark Cupid? Ready to take me on?" Ladybug asked with a smirk as she kept spinning her yo-yo.

"No," Dark Cupid said, stepping away. "I'm no coward, but know this: you'll pay for defeating me, Love Angel!"

Dark Cupid followed Nooroo out the window and into thin air, leaving Ladybug alone.

Ladybug then took her yo-yo out, raised it up to the sky and said, _"Miraculous Ladybug!"_

A wave of red and black light swept over the entire wedding venue, and everything was fixed as if any and all damage that had occurred never even happened.

Ladybug changed back into Marinette and looked everyone over. The arguing and the hatred was stopped and then every couple was asking their partner if they were okay, and soon, all the love that was being sucked away was flowing back into the venue.

"Looks like everything's settled and everyone's gone back to normal." Marinette said.

"That's good. But look!" Tikki said, pointing out that Bijou was still collapsed onto the ground.

"Oh no! Bijou!" Marinette said as she ran over to the bride to watch over her and make sure that she was okay.

Bijou murmured a little bit as she sat up to recover from whatever she had experienced.

"Ugh, my head..." She moaned. But she realized where she was. "Wait... Pierre?! Where is he?!"

"Bijou!" Pierre shouted from another part of the building. He soon came to the door and he saw his bride on the floor of the room. "Bijou!"

He ran over to his lovely bride, got down on the floor to check on her, and he held her with one arm around her back and the other hand was holding one of her hands.

"Bijou! Are you okay?!" Pierre asked.

"I... I'm fine... Oh, Pierre!" Bijou said as she leaped onto her groom and the two of them started hugging and crying tears of joy, happy to be reunited.

Marinette started to cry happy tears, too, and she wiped one away from her face with her finger.

"Wait... What about everyone else?!" Marinette asked aloud.

She then dashed out of the hall and ran back to the room where she had left her friends and father collapsed on the ground. Lucky for her, everyone was now going about the wedding celebration like no akumas had gone and attacked the entire reception.

Marinette heaved a sigh of relief, and she told Tikki, "That's a relief. Everyone's fine."

Marinette soon saw Adrien mingling with some of the other models. Remembering that he had tried to protect her earlier, Marinette blushed, thinking, _'I... I should probably go and say something to him.'_

Marinette slowly approached Adrien, and then she gently tugged on his sleeve.

"Oh, Mariboo. What's up?" Adrien asked.

"I... Uh... Wanted to thank you." Marinette said, averting her eyes.

"Thank me? For what?" Adrien inquired, quirking a brow in confusion.

Realizing what was going on, Marinette thought, _'Oh right... He's back to normal. He doesn't remember anything that happened.'_

"I... Um... I wanted to thank you for the earlier praise about my handiwork!" Marinette said, changing the subject.

"You don't have to get repetitive over it, Mariboo," Adrien teased. "It can get a little annoying."

Marinette got upset at this comment and asked, "A... Annoying?!"

Adrien stifled a laugh and tried his best not to snicker at Marinette's reaction. He soon turned to face her and said, "Yeah. I already acknowledged your skills. Don't go fishing for compliments."

"Wh... Who said I was?! You jerk!" Marinette shouted before stomping away in an angry huff.

 _'Ugh! What a nuisance! See if I ever thank HIM again!'_ Marinette thought, but then she tripped on the hem of another guest's dress and she was soon careening down to the floor, screaming.

"Marinette!" "Girl!" Alya and Chloé shouted as they ran to catch Marinette before she would face-plant on the ground.

* * *

 **And SCENE for chapter 3! Sorry this took so long. I hope you all enjoyed this, and are looking forward to chapter 4! Speaking of which...**

 **Up next, Alya's older sister Nora alerts the journalist to marital strife in their family! And it doesn't look like Ladybug can defeat Dark Cupid's plotting alone this time.**


	4. Birth of Angel Rena Rouge

**Remember how I said that Marinette won't be fighting off the akumas alone? She'll be getting a new teammate in this chapter.**

 **Alya's older sister Nora alerts the journalist to trouble in the family. Otis and Marlena get into a fight and Marlena takes off and vanishes. If something isn't done, then Marlena could go MIA for good. But it doesn't look like that's going to be the only problem they have to deal with, and it's clear that Marinette won't be able to pull this off by herself.**

 **And I'm sure you noticed, but episodes 4 and 5 of Wedding Peach have been switched for this story. This is on purpose for a couple of reasons. One: Alya got her Miraculous before Chloé. Two: I think episode 4 in this anime fits Chloé's situation better than Alya because Yuri Tanima/Angel Lily in this show has a fashion designer for a mother. Since Chloé's mother works in fashion, too, I think episode 4 is a better fit for her debut as Queen Bee.  
**

 **Now... Since I'm sure the majority of us saw the season finale by now... I KNEW IT! I TOTALLY KNEW THAT** **NATHALIE WAS GOING TO BE MAYURA! But since the episode also said the Peacock Miraculous is damaged, that also explains why Gabriel never put it into use before now. Who's willing to bet that the damaged Miraculous has something to do with Emilie's comatose state?**

* * *

Marinette was scrambling around in her room to get ready for a club meeting with Alya and Chloé. Sure, it was technically a weekend where they did not have school, but a lot of students would take time out of their weekends to participate in club activities whenever they had them. Today the girls were going to be working on some designs that Marinette had sketched up, with Marinette taking the lead on the project, Alya doing the writing for the blog, and Chloé helping out with whatever she could, be it providing materials or giving her input, as unfiltered as it was.

"Hurry up, Marinette! The girls are waiting!" Tikki said, as she was flying around the room while Marinette packed her sewing toolkit and sketchbook.

"I know, Tikki, I know!" Marinette said, flying around the room like a tornado had hit. She was gathering up her phone, colored pencils, a ruler, etc.

Once she got everything she needed for the meeting, she made for the trap door. And as always, Tikki ducked into Marinette's bag to hide.

Marinette sped down the stairs like crazy and dashed past her dad. Tom shouted to his daughter, "Marinette, don't forget the macarons I made for you and the girls!"

Marinette saw the treat box on the breakfast table and she said, "Yikes! Nearly forgot! Thanks, dad!"

She snatched up the bakery box and ran out the door to get to the school building on time.

"Damn it! Alya and Chloé are going to kill me if I'm late!" Marinette shouted as she kept running to her school, trying her best to keep a hold on the box and not drop it or the contents inside.

Once Marinette made it past the school gates, she started to dash for the club room. She wanted to make sure she made it on time for her meeting. Chloé and Alya were going to be counting on their leader for their project.

But just as she was about to head for the stairs, she caught sight of Chloé, who was standing off to the side and looking at something pointedly, as if curious about whatever she was looking at.

"Chloé?" Marinette asked, approaching the blonde. "What's going on?"

"Oh, Marinette, hey," Chloé said. "Just watching Alya."

"Alya?" Marinette asked, and then Chloé pointed over to Alya, who was handing off a thermos to Nino, who accepted it with a smile on his face. "What do you think she could be doing?"

"I don't know, but I always _thought_ she had her eye on that DJ." Chloé said, a smirk growing on her face.

"Hold it, Chloé," Marinette said, putting her hand up to stop Chloé's thought process. "Let's not jump to conclusions. Alya's not the type to beat around the bush about liking someone. For all we know, it could be nothing."

"Good point," Chloé said, realizing that Marinette had a good point about Alya's personality. "And all we gotta do is ask her when we get the chance."

"Right." Marinette said.

Later on in their club room, Marinette was sewing up a new dress for the club, meanwhile Chloé was working on figuring out color schemes, patterns, etc. for another project for Marinette. Alya came in soon thereafter.

"Hey girls," Alya said. "What's going on?"

"We should be asking you that," Chloé teased. "So, spill! What did you give Nino?"

"Yeah!" Marinette asked, acting a lot like Alya whenever she was in on a scoop or was looking for the next bit of gossip. "Tell us!"

"Come on, it was only a smoothie." Alya said, brushing the question off.

"A smoothie?" Chloé asked.

"Yeah," Alya said. "A new recipe I got from my mom. Though I'd try it out and ask Nino to give it a try."

"Why didn't you ask one of us?" Marinette asked. "You know I'm always happy to try anything your mom creates."

"Because you and Chloé always give the recipes a good review, even with a few constructive criticisms. I wanted to do a taste test without any bias." Alya explained, crossing her arms.

"That makes sense." Marinette said with a nod of her head. Chloé was also in agreement.

"So, what was in that smoothie?" Chloé asked.

"Oh, nothing much. Just some kale, flax seeds, quinoa, plain greek yogurt..." Alya said, listing off the ingredients.

"Well... From a health standpoint it works..." Marinette weakly said.

"Sounds disgusting." Chloé bluntly stated.

Just then, there was a knock at the door and then someone shouted out, "Little sis! I know you're in there with Baguette and Rich Girl!"

Marinette, Chloé and Alya looked at each other, surprised to hear that familiar voice. Chloé moaned in annoyance.

"Ugh. There's only _one person_ who would call us _those_ names." Chloé scoffed.

Alya opened the door and in walked in her older sister Nora. She was tall, dark-skinned and muscular with golden eyes and her brown hair was in a ponytail. She was also wearing primarily yellow and white boxing clothes, and her cropped top had a spider in front.

"Hi, Nora." Alya said.

Chloé cringed a little bit. Nora always intimidated her no matter how many times she encountered the boxer. And it did not help that Nora was a little over-protective towards Alya.

"No- er, Anansi," Marinette began, remembering to call Alya's older sister by her ring name. "Nice to see you. So, what brings you by?"

"Well, just wanted to know if you _forgot_ about something," Nora said, holding up a bag of mixed berries. Strawberries, blackberries, and blueberries. "You left these out on the counter this morning at home."

"Oh crap! The berries!" Alya began. "I forgot to put them in the smoothie!"

"Wait, if the berries aren't in the smoothie, then...?!" Marinette asked.

"Then the smoothie won't taste as good!" Alya said, about to panic.

"We gotta find Nino and keep him from drinking it! Come on!" Chloé declared. All four girls poured out of the room to go and find Nino and stop him.

Unbeknownst to them, Nino had handed off the smoothie to Adrien, who accepted it with gusto and delight. He knew smoothies would be great for him and no one in the agency would give him a hard time for having one, especially if it was homemade.

The fencing team had just finished up their practice and Adrien got thirsty.

He opened up the thermos and started to drink the contents. After a few sips though, he turned green in the face in disgust and then he spat it out onto the floor.

"Yuck!" Adrien complained, horrified at the flavor of the liquid. "What is this?"

"Adrien!" Marinette shouted as she, Alya, and Chloé dashed into the locker room. She saw the spill on the floor. "Oh no... You drank that, didn't you?"

"Oh boy..." Chloé said, rolling her eyes.

"Who made this liquid crap?!" Adrien demanded, holding out the thermos. He was _not_ impressed.

"It's not crap! Just a defective product." Alya said, snatching the thermos back.

"Are you sure you're okay, Adrien?" Marinette inquired out of genuine concern for the blonde.

"Stupid... How could you let me drink that?" Adrien asked Marinette in reply.

"I didn't make that, Adrien," Marinette said, defending herself against Adrien's accusations. "But while we're on the subject, that smoothie was meant for Nino. How did you get it?"

"Oh, Nino gave it to me." Adrien explained.

"That answers that." Marinette said.

"Excuse me?" Adrien asked.

The two of them started to have a glaring contest, but Alya got in between them to stop the fight.

"I'm the one who made this and forgot the berries," Alya said, defending Marinette. "So blame me, not Marinette."

Adrien backed off and said, "Fine."

After that ordeal had been solved, Alya took the remaining smoothie and poured it down the bathroom sink. The girls then all made to head back to their club room.

"Too bad Adrien had to taste that nasty stuff," Chloé said. "I would've had the same reaction."

"It would have tasted a lot better if I had remembered the berries." Alya asserted, and the others had to agree with her.

"Flyweights!" Nora shouted from at the door to the club room.

"Nora, what are you still doing here?" Alya asked. "What could be so important that you couldn't just text me?"

"Well... We've got some trouble," Nora admitted. "Mom and dad got into an argument this morning."

"So?" Marinette asked. "Lots of happy couples argue."

"True, but mom and dad haven't had an argument _this_ bad. In fact, mom got so upset about it that she ran out and hasn't come back." Nora explained.

"What?!" Alya shouted. "Oh no! Come on Nora! We gotta get going, ASAP!"

Alya and Nora immediately dashed off, leaving Chloé and Marinette behind in the dust.

"What sort of petty argument could their parents have had?" Chloé asked.

"I don't know, but we'd better go and check it out and see if there's anything we can do to help." Marinette said. Chloé nodded and then the two girls followed after Alya and Nora.

* * *

The group had made back to the Césaire apartment, where Otis Césaire, Alya and Nora's father, was running himself ragged. Otis was a fairly portly man with light brown skin and brown hair with a full beard and sideburns. He was also wearing a Hawaiian shirt, green jeans, and boots. He was running around the apartment, trying to control the twins, Ella and Etta. Not only that, but he was trying to talk into his phone, which was on the counter and on speaker.

"Y-Yes, I know! I'm trying to - AH! Etta! No playing in the dirty laundry! Sorry, one of the twins was - ELLA! Get off the counter!" Otis shouted, trying to communicate with whoever was on the phone while keeping the twins in check.

"Dad!" Alya shouted as she and Nora dashed into the apartment.

"Alya, Nora, perfect timing," Otis said. "I'm going to need your help."

"Where's mom?" Alya asked.

"I don't know! Marlena just took off without any warning." Otis said as Marinette and Chloé soon came in.

"Nora said the two of you had an argument." Alya continued, trying to get to the bottom of the situation.

"The two of us wound up having a shouting match for no reason this morning and then she just walked out." Otis said as she tried to slip a shirt onto one of the twins.

"What started this fight?" Nora asked.

"Again, I'm not sure." Otis said.

"Oh, so you're _okay_ with mom being MIA and being here on your own?!" Nora demanded of her father.

"No, I'm not! And listen girls, the twins are late for their playdate with their friends _and_ there are a lot of other chores to do around here!" Otis said to the girls.

"Well, then good thing we're here to help," Nora said, wrapping her arm around Alya's shoulders. "That's what family's for, right?"

"Yep!" Alya said.

"You flyweights take care of things here. I'll go find where mom went." Nora said as she turned around and left out the door to the apartment.

"Couldn't you just text Chef Césaire?" Chloé haughtily asked. "It'd make finding her go a lost faster."

"Mom has a habit of keeping her cell phone off most of the time, usually when she's at work," Alya explained. "So searching on foot is probably a better idea."

"Alright," Marinette said. "Is there anything Chloé and I can do to help out?"

Alya smiled and said, "Thought you'd never ask!"

Once that was said, the girls started running around the apartment to try and clean up and get things organized while Otis kept an eye on the twins.

"Are you sure Mrs. Césaire will be okay?" Marinette asked, as she was wiping up the countertops that Ella had been running around on top of.

"I'm not sure. First, we gotta help dad get the twins ready and clean this place up. Then, I'll try to drag some deets out of dad about this fight. After that, who knows?" Alya said, as she took out the Swiffer and started doing the floors.

"This can't be easy on you." Chloé said, sitting on the sofa and filing her nails instead of helping her friends out.

"It isn't," Alya said. "Mom and dad have had arguments before, but they usually get settled pretty easily. But this is the first time it's gotten so bad that mom's gone and left."

Marinette saw Chloé was sitting around doing nothing, so she brought a sponge and some dish soap over to Chloé and said, "Think you can help load the dishwasher or wash the dishes by hand?"

Chloé looked at the sponge and soap in disgust, but then realized that she had to help out her friends, so she said, "Whatever."

She took the cleaning supplies and then she went over to the sink, still at a loss at what to do. Marinette decided to help Chloé out by showing her the ropes of doing the dishes.

Once Alya had finished the floor, she was helping her father dress the twins. Once they were ready, Otis took the car and drove the little girls over to their friends' place. They were running late as it was.

As soon as everything was done and Otis came back with Alya, the group sat on the sofa to talk about how this whole thing started.

"So, what happened, dad?" Alya asked as she tried to get her father to talk.

"What do you mean?" Otis asked.

"I'm asking what happened that started this fight with mom?" Alya repeated, crossing her arms.

"I'm telling you, I don't know." Otis said.

"Come on, are you sure?" Chloé asked. "How can you not know what triggered a fight between you and your wife?! Ridiculous! Utterly ridiculous!"

"Chloé..." Marinette said, sighing in defeat.

The apartment door opened and Nora walked in, a bit disappointed.

"Nora, perfect timing," Alya said as she stood up. "Any sign of mom yet?"

"Nothing yet." Nora said.

"This is insane," Alya said, worried about her mom. "Where could mom have gotten to?! This isn't going to..."

Just then, a smaller woman walked in. She had the same skin tone as Alya, with brown eyes and brown hair in a bun. She was wearing a chef coat, closed-toed shoes, and blue pants.

"Mom! You're back!" Alya said, delighted that her mom had come back.

Otis stood up and went to go confront his wife.

"Where have you been?" Otis asked Marlena, who refused to look him in the eyes. "Do you have any idea how worried the girls were? Not to mention me!"

"Don't say anything," Marlena said. "I didn't come back to talk this over. I came here to pack my things. I'm out of here."

 _"What?!"_ The girls asked, with Alya being the most shocked.

"I've had enough, so I'm leaving." Marlena repeated.

"You can't leave!" Otis protested. "I won't let you!"

"Oh, please! I don't need your consent." Marlena spat back.

While the two parents were arguing, Nora pulled a whistle out of her back. Motioning to the girls to plug their ears, Chloé, Marinette, and Alya covered their ears with their hands in anticipation of the loud tweet to come.

Nora took a big breath and then she blew into the whistle hard. The sound caused Marlena and Otis to stop shouting at each other to cover their ears from the noise. Once Nora stopped, she put the whistle away.

"Good," Alya said, as she went in between her parents to mediate. "Now, tell me what happened. How did this entire mess start?"

"Yeah," Marinette said, twisting a pinky in her ear to stop the ringing. "How did this come about?"

"Otis is a horrible example of a real man, forgetting something as important as a day like today." Marlena said, very hurt.

"What do you mean? What's so big about today?" Chloé asked.

"It's mom and dad's wedding anniversary." Nora said, crossing her arms.

"That's right, Nora." Marlena said, looking down at the floor.

" _Mon dieu_ ," Alya said, face-palming. "No wonder you're angry."

"Yes," Marlena said. "It was 25 years ago today that I was wearing a white dress and standing before a preacher, a new bride. It was such an important memory to me... But your father, my groom, completely forgot about it!"

The girls were disgusted with Otis and Alya said, "Dad, you are _completely_ the one in the wrong here! I can't believe you!"

"She's right," Marinette said. "Your wedding anniversary is a date you shouldn't forget. _Ever_."

"Yeah! My mom can't even bother to remember my _birthday!_ " Chloé said, in full agreement with her friends.

Otis slumped down a bit.

"See why I'm so upset? I'm tired of this, so I'm leaving, and you can't stop me." Marlena said as she went to go to the shared bedroom she shared with Otis to get a suitcase.

"Mom, wait!" Alya said, trying to get her mother to stop.

Nora saw something out of her peripheral vision. Hidden in some of the windowsill plants was a gift wrapped box. She picked it up and said, "Hey, what's this?"

Otis saw what Nora was holding and then he shouted in fright, as if startled by something.

"I wonder what this could be?" Alya asked as Nora gave it to her younger sister to investigate.

Alya opened the box and she took out a beautiful necklace. It was a golden pendant that had a pink diamond that was cut into a heart dead in the center. The chain was thin and gold and the jewelry itself seemed expensive.

"A pendant..." Alya said.

"Wow! It's beautiful!" Marinette said, her eyes alight. This could be a new opportunity to design some new pieces.

"Ugh, whatever." Chloé said, not willing to admit that she found it beautiful, too.

Alya found a card inside the box and pulled it out. She read it aloud, "'For our Silver Anniversary, my dear. All my love, Otis.'"

"Hey! Don't read that out loud, Alya!" Otis shouted.

"Mom, this is for you!" Alya said, much to Marlena's surprise.

Nora roughly patted Otis on the shoulder and said, "So, you _did_ remember! Hah!"

"Yeah, dad," Alya said. "You should have given mom this this morning. It would have saved us a lot of drama."

"That was the plan," Otis explained, blushing. "I had everything ready, but then I put it down and forgot where it was. So, I pretended that I forgot. Then everything around here was completely nuts this morning..."

Marlena, happy that her husband did not forget their anniversary, smiled and said, "Dear..."

"See? I wasn't going to just give it to her after sending a text or two. That's classless during our anniversary! Presents need to be given to each other as surprises..." Otis said, before face-palming. "Now the surprise is ruined..."

"Come on, Casanova," Nora said. "Don't get all shy."

As everyone in the room started laughing at Otis's embarrassment, meanwhile love waves were radiating off the pendant.

Somewhere in the city, Dark Cupid was standing up at a high point and he had detected the love wave.

"I feel it. The love wave's pull," Dark Cupid said. "Nooroo, you know what you have to do."

"Understood, Master!" Nooroo said as he zipped off into the city, leaving Dark Cupid to smirk.

After the misunderstanding had been cleared up, Otis suggested that the group go out to the Ménagerie du Jardin des Plantes, his workplace, for a picnic. Everyone agreed to it, even Chloé, but she insisted on bringing a lot of flatware and a big enough blanket for everyone to sit on so they would not get dirty at all.

They had found their way to a nice clearing in the zoo and they had spread out their blanket. Marlena made the food for the picnic while Marinette had doubled back to the bakery to bring some pastries for their trip.

"This is going to be delicious!" Marinette said as she took up a sandwich from the basket and started to eat over one of the plates.

Otis was sitting opposite of the blanket to his wife, looking at the pendant, a little anxious. Alya, noticing her father's nerves, said, "Don't be shy, dad. Just give it to her."

Otis swallowed a lump in his throat as he turned to his wife and patted her on the shoulder. Marlena turned to him and she smiled, saying, "Hi, honey."

Otis got a bit nervous and he tried his best to keep it together. As the spouses were acting all shy with each other on their wedding anniversary, the girls were all looking at the pair. They were so excited to see the romantic moment when Otis put the pendant around Marlena's neck.

But the moment was interrupted.

"Excuse me," A voice said, an a passerby got the group's attention. "Are you the zookeeper around here?"

"Um, yes," Otis said, standing up and approaching the man. "Is there something wrong?"

"Ugh, talk about rotten timing," Alya said. "This guy ruined the moment!"

Otis was still holding the pendant as he was about to address any questions or concerns. But the man took the pendant from Otis and he commented, "Quite a beautiful pendant you have here."

"Yes..." Otis began, but then the man took off with the pendant in hand. "Hey! Get back here!"

The girls saw what happened, and then Marinette shouted, "What the hell?!"

The girls, Nora included, started taking off after the thief, with Otis following suit. They ran through the Ménagerie du Jardin des Plantes, all chasing the criminal.

"Get back here! Stop, thief!" Otis shouted.

"Stop right there!" Nora shouted, running a decent distance ahead.

The group soon made it out of the area and started to keep pace with the thief. Up on the rooftops of one of the buildings stood Dark Cupid, who was looking down at the group, hoping to get the pendant.

Nora soon caught up to the thief and pounced on him like a cat. She lifted the man up with both hands and she tried to snag the pendant off him.

"This is what you get for stealing a wedding anniversary gift, you turd!" Nora shouted, about to break the guy into two pieces.

But then out of nowhere, akuma energy surrounded Nora, Chloé, and Otis, leaving Marinette and Alya behind.

Nora and the others collapsed.

"Nora! Dad! Chloé!" Alya shouted.

"No time to stand around, Alya," Marinette said, pointing out that the thief had started running away again. "Come on!"

The girls continued to give chase to the criminal to try and get the pendant back.

"You'd better give me back that pendant, you loser! That's too important for anyone to take away!" Alya shouted, clearly angry.

She picked up speed and rammed the thief into the back. She shoved him back into a wall and landed on both feet, ready to fight.

"Nice work, Alya!" Marinette said, and the two of them gave each other a high-five.

But the man stood back up, and his face had purely white eyes and red markings.

"What the hell?" Alya asked, confused.

"Hang on, I think I know what's happening..." Marinette said, before touching her earrings. Her x-ray tablet came up and she scanned the man.

True to form, Nooroo was in the man's body and controlling him like a puppet.

"Nooroo! It figures!" Marinette said, unsurprised that Nooroo was the one behind this man's behavior.

"What on Earth...?!" Alya asked, her eyes wide with surprise.

"I know what's going on! That man's been possessed by an akuma!" Marinette said, as the possessed man jumped up and continued to run.

"Hey, he's getting away again!" Alya shouted.

"Oh no he isn't!" Marinette said, stepping forward and letting Tikki out of her clutch. "Tikki, let's get to work."

"Marinette?! What is that thing?" Alya asked, surprised at seeing Tikki.

"No time to explain," Marinette said. "I'll bring you up to speed later."

"Are you sure doing this in front of Alya is a good idea?" Tikki asked.

"We don't have time to talk about this!" Marinette declared. _"Lucky Wedding Flower!"_

Alya covered her eyes as she saw Marinette transform into her wedding dress. Now Ladybug, she ran in front of the possessed man and demanded, "You hand over that pendant this instant! It doesn't belong to you and you know it!"

However, the man retaliated by trying to punch Ladybug. After ducking and dodging a few times, Ladybug backed off and thought, _'Okay, reasoning is out of the question.'_

Activating her earrings again, Ladybug shouted, _"Bridal Change! Wedding Dress Transform! Angel Creation Ladybug!"_

After switching out her wedding dress for her suit, Ladybug took her yo-yo out and started to spin it like a shield.

"Marinette?! What happened?!" Alya asked, still a bit dumbfounded by the turn of events.

"Give that pendant back!" Ladybug shouted as she did a back spring and kicked the man in the face.

But there was a a red arrow coming at her, and it was infused with a blast of akuma energy. She blocked it with her yo-yo shield, but the force was still strong enough to knock her back into a wall.

Ladybug stood back up and she said, "Dark Cupid!"

"Yep. So, how about a bit of target practice?" Dark Cupid said as he fired several arrows at once.

Ladybug blocked each and every one, still glaring down at Dark Cupid.

"This is the strongest love wave I've ever felt before. That pendant will be mine and we'll have part of the Miraculous Something Four!" Dark Cupid said.

Yet again, a green object flew out from thin air and hit him in the back. Both he and Ladybug looked up to the sky and once more, Carapace had made an entrance.

"Good to see you, Carapace!" Ladybug said.

Alya stared at the turtle boy and she had to admit that he was easy on the eyes. She blushed a little bit at the sight of him and she wanted to talk to him more.

"Not you again!" Dark Cupid complained.

"Sorry, but as long as love exists in this world, I won't stop fighting you, dude!" Carapace said as he caught his shield.

"Die!" Dark Cupid shouted.

For the umpteenth time, Dark Cupid and Carapace started battling it out, with the former shooting arrows at the latter and the turtle blocking the archer's ammunition with his shield. He would kick or punch to retaliate, but between Dark Cupid flying around and shooting, it was a challenge for Carapace to land a hit without throwing his shield and risk leaving himself open.

"Geez, _what_ is going on?" Alya asked as she watched everything going down.

The possessed man kept throwing random ammo at Ladybug, who had to jump or flip to dodge, or block with her yo-yo. It was no cake walk, and it was clear to Ladybug that she was going to be unable to do this alone.

"I wish I wasn't the only Love Angel! I could really use some backup!" Ladybug complained.

Alya saw a trash can lid lying around and then she picked it up and throwed it at the thief, knocking him down for a little while.

Carapace knocked Dark Cupid away from him for a little bit and then turned to Alya, before shouting, "Alya! You've got to transform!"

Alya said, "Me? Transform?"

"Yes! Transform into Rena Rouge, the second Love Angel, and help out Ladybug!" Carapace shouted as he threw another octagonal box at Alya.

Alya caught the box in her hand and opened it to reveal a necklace. It was a golden chain with a fox tail charm, and the tip of the tail was white while the rest was orange. Out of the blue, a fox-like kwami appeared out of the box.

"What the?!" Alya said.

"It's nice to meet you, Alya!" The kwami said. "My name's Trixx! Your kwami!"

"My kwami? Oh, you can help me transform using this necklace like Tikki did with Marinette?" Alya asked.

"Yep! You're good." Trixx said, impressed.

In the top of the box, the image of Master Fu appeared, and he said, "Hello, Alya. You must don the Fox Miraculous and transform into the Love Angel, Rena Rouge."

"Hang on, who are you?" Alya asked.

"I am Master Wang Fu, the ruler of the Angel Realm. To transform, you must say "Cunning Wedding Flower." Hurry and help out Ladybug." Fu said, before his image faded away.

"Okay!" Alya said as she put the necklace on. "Marinette's my best friend! I won't let her fight this battle alone! _Cunning Wedding Flower!"_

Trixx entered Alya's necklace and her clothes and outfit started to change. Alya's hair changed colors and became three-toned ombré. The roots changed into a beautiful red-orange shade that blended into orange further down and the tips of her hair were colored white. Her hair had grown, too, so it was now up in a high ponytail. A mask came upon her face, and it was orange on the top half while it was white on the bottom half and two black marks were on the top half to represent her eyebrows. And in a flash of light, two orange fox ears with white insides and black tips appeared on top of her head. Speaking of her head, a small veil appeared on top behind her fox ears, and it was transparent orange down to her back. Her dress was an orange mermaid dress that went down to her knees, had black wrist-length sleeves and a halter neckline, and the hem of the skirt was white. She was also wearing orange and black heels. On her back was an orange and white flute.

Ladybug looked at her friend in awe, meanwhile Rena Rouge examined herself and said, "Awesome! This dress is the bomb! Now to fight!"

But as she stepped forward, she then said, "Hang on, how can I move around in this? Oh, I know!"

Remembering how she saw Ladybug do it earlier, Rena activated her second transformation, and shouted, _"Bridal Change! Wedding Dress Transform! Angel Illusion Rena Rouge!"_

In a blast of white light, Rena's dress melted away and changed into a suit. The top of it changed into an orange overcoat with a white front and it had a black swan-neck collar. Her wrist-length sleeves turned into black gloves that went up to her mid-upper-arms. The Fox Miraculous acted as a zipper and attached the overcoat layer to the vertical front center of the suit. The suit's overcoat got a coattail that looked like an actual fox's tail, and it ended below her knees with a white tip. The bottom layer of the suit was orange, also with a white center in the front, and starting from the thighs, her legs were black.

"Now this is more like it!" Rena said.

The man, scared at the sight of another Love Angel, started to run away. But Rena Rouge jumped in front of him with her superior agility and confronted him.

Rena Rouge took out her flute and played a few notes. She then blasted several bullets of orange light and declared, _"Mirage Bombard!"_

As the bullets hit the man, he was blinded by illusions and mirages of so many random things, all of which were disgusting to a demon. While he was distracted, Rena Rouge turned back to Ladybug and said, "Ladybug, it's up to you now!"

"Right!" Ladybug said as she opened up her yo-yo and started to spin it again. It began glowing white and she was building up another white blast of love wave energy from inside. "Time to get out of there, Nooroo!"

 _"Ladybug Bridal Blast!"_ Ladybug shouted as she blasted the white love wave energy at the possessed thief.

As per usual, Nooroo was forced out and he was groaning in pain from being exposed to the love wave again. The man dropped the pendant on the ground and slumped up against the wall, his face changing back to normal.

"Great! One Love Angel was bad enough, but now two?! No way! I won't let you two stand in my way for long!" Dark Cupid said as he put his bow and arrows away and then flew off.

"Wait for me, Master!" Nooroo squealed as he followed Dark Cupid up into the sky.

Carapace hovered in the sky and said, "Rena Rouge, you were amazing today. I look forward to continuing to work with you, dude."

Rena Rouge smiled and said, "Back at you, Carapace."

The two of them held gazes for a while before Carapace vanished in a burst of sparkles until their next fight.

Rena Rouge picked up the pendant and smiled in triumph before turning back to Ladybug.

"Nice work, Rena Rouge," Ladybug said. "It's going to be a lot of fun working with you."

"Same to you, BFF. But I think you still need to bring me up to speed about what's going on later on, okay?" Rena said.

"Yep," Ladybug said, holding out a fist. "Pound it?"

"Yep! Pound it!" Rena replied as the pair shared a fist bump.

The girls changed back and their kwamis hid again. With the pendant retrieved, they started to run back to the Ménagerie du Jardin des Plantes and find Chloé, Nora, and Otis.

As the group sat up and moaned in pain, Alya and Marinette were running towards them, with Alya shouting, "Dad! I got it back!"

Otis smiled in delight and said, "That's great! I'm so proud of you, Alya!"

Alya ran to her father and gave the pendant back to him before hugging him.

"Alya knows what's she's doing in a fight!" Marinette said. "Maybe she learned a few things from Nora?"

"I'm sure she did!" Nora said as she hugged Alya by the neck with her arm and gave her an affectionate noogie. "I always knew she could learn how to fight like I can!"

Alya laughed while Chloé said, "Glad the two of you got back in one piece. Now let's hurry and get this anniversary celebration going!"

The group made it back to the spot where Marlena was waiting.

"You did it!" Marlena said, happy that her family and friends got the pendant back.

"I think Alya deserves the credit today." Chloé said.

"Okay," Otis said, standing before his wife, and both of them were blushing happily. "For staying with me through thick and thin, sickness and health, for the past 25 years... Thank you, Marlena, my dear."

Marlena blushed as Otis gently put the pendant around her neck. Marlena smiled in delight as she looked at the jewelry piece.

Everyone was clapping happily as the married pair were looking at each other with love.

"This is amazing. A love going strong for 25 years and counting. I can't wait to find something like that," Marinette said. "What about you, Chloé?"

"Yeah, if I can find a man who can handle _moi_ , then maybe." Chloé said with a scoff.

"Hey, since our picnic was ruined, why don't we have a family dinner at home for your anniversary?" Nora suggested. "Marinette and Chloé are welcome to join us."

"That's a great idea!" Marlena said. "Let's get back so I can get cooking."

A few hours later...

 _"Cheers!"_ Everyone said as they toasted. With the twins included, the entire Césaire family and Alya's best friends were enjoying a delicious meal at the dinner table at the Césaire apartment.

"This is going to be delicious," Otis said. "You're amazing, dear."

"Aw, thank you." Marlena said.

"Come on, kiss! Both of you!" Nora teased.

"Hey, no teasing!" Otis said as he made to take a drink of his beverage.

Almost recognizing it, Alya shouted, "Hey wait!"

But it was too late. Otis took a sip and then spat it out, saying, "Yuck! What is this?!"

"Oops, that was the leftover smoothie from this morning..." Alya said, before laughing nervously.

Chloé and Marinette sighed in annoyance.

Over with the bags, Trixx and Tikki watched their owners from a distance. The two kwamis smiled at one another and Tikki said, "This is going to be great. You and Alya make a good team."

"And she's observant and fast learner. Makes it a lot better." Trixx agreed.

The two kwamis continued to hide with each other, quietly talking to one another.

* * *

 **And there we go for chapter four! I hope you enjoyed Rena Rouge's debut in this story. Now we just gotta get Queen Bee's story going.**

 **Coming up, a bridal fashion show being headed up by Audrey Bourgeois, Chloé's mother, is derailed when the dresses get ruined and Chloé gets blamed for it. Doesn't it look like another one of Dark Cupid's plans? And will Ladybug and Rena Rouge be enough to stop him this time?**

 **Now, considering the absolute _lack_ of response I'm getting for this story, I'm considering just deleting it altogether. Hard to stay motivated to write a story when you cast the line, and no one's biting, you know?**


	5. Birth of Angel Queen Bee

**I wasn't expecting any encouragement since the last chapter. Thanks for the reassurance, peeps! It's a good motivator for me, so keep it coming.**

 **A major bridal show is coming up in Paris and Audrey Bourgeois, Chloé's mother, is the one designing the gowns for the event. But the entire thing gets thrown off-course when Dark Cupid gets into the studio and wrecks the dresses in an attempt to find the Miraculous Something Four. And Chloé gets blamed for the entire thing. Oh no! And to make matters worse, Audrey gets possessed by Nooroo and tries to harm Chloé! And it looks like Alya and Marinette are going to need backup.  
**

* * *

Alya and Marinette were invited to the Grand Paris Hotel by Chloé. Her mother, Audrey Bourgeois, known as the international Queen of Fashion and director of Style Queen magazine was working on wedding dresses for a fashion show and had a few on display on mannequins in the hotel.

"Wow! They're beautiful!" Marinette said, looking over the various dresses in many styles. "Is it true that your mom designed all of these, Chloé?!"

"She sure did," Chloé said, holding her head up high in pride. "What do you expect from Mrs. Style Queen?"

"Only the best! This is amazing!" Alya said, taking a few photos with her phone. "If your mom's willing, we can use pictures of these for the blog!"

"Or better yet, I can ask mom if she'll let you two try a few of these on. You can model them for the blog, too." Chloé said, a little overconfident that Audrey would grant her friends permission.

"Really?!" Marinette asked.

"Duh," Chloé said. "I'm going to be _in_ this fashion show, too. Just let me ask mom, and we'll be in business."

"Awesome! Come on, let's go pick one out for you to try on, Marinette!" Alya said, dragging Marinette over to the mannequins to look at the dresses.

"Whoa, hey!" Marinette said as Alya maneuvered them through the dresses to pick one out for Marinette.

"Maybe this trumpet dress... No, a mermaid looks just as good on you!" Alya said as Marinette looked at the mannequins and examined the dresses.

"No, I think this A-line is more my style... What about this mini tea dress?" Marinette asked as she pointed out different dresses to Alya. "I'm likely to trip on my dress if I have a floor-length dress. Speaking of dresses, I think that this princess gown suits you just fine, Alya."

"Hey, we're trying to get _you_ in a dress, not me!" Alya protested with a laugh.

"What about this column dress?" Marinette suggested, pointing out one mannequin in particular. "I think this will be your perfect match!"

"I can't believe they're getting this excited over dresses." Chloé said, her arms crossed and rolling her eyes playfully.

"It's only natural that they would get excited over a wedding dress, Claudine - er, Chloé." A woman's voice said as she walked into the room.

The woman had golden hair in a bob cut and blue eyes hidden by black sunglasses. She was wearing a black hat with black and yellow stripes under the side, the band was yellow, and there was a golden rose on the top left. She was wearing a white jumpsuit, and it had a very thick black stripe down the right side. The romper of the suit was long and it went around her shoulder blades. The woman also had yellow heels on her feet, and evening gloves in white that went just under her elbows. Finally, she had a golden ring on her right ring finger.

"Oh, mommy!" Chloé said, happy to see her mother.

"A wedding dress is something that a woman only wears once in her entire life, on the day that she marries the person she loves. It's like getting the chance to work for me: a once-in-a-lifetime opportunity," Audrey said haughtily. "For any woman not to take a wedding dress, or any sense of fashion seriously... Ridiculous. Utterly ridiculous."

Chloé looked on as she watched her friends frolicking through the fabric of the wedding dresses.

About half an hour later, Audrey insisted that Chloé stand in front of a full-length mirror. Audrey pulled a dress out and brought it up close to Chloé so she could get a look at her daughter.

The dress itself was a fishtail wedding dress that reached the ankles, with an off-shoulder neckline. The dress was ivory with _real_ white pearls in the bodice and the sleeves were wrist-length.

"Here it is, Cassandra - er, Chloé," Audrey said. "The dress you'll be wearing for the fashion show."

"Wow, Chloé! That's going to look amazing on you!" Marinette said as she looked over the dress in the mirror. "And while we're on the subject of dresses, I'd like to try one on! This one, specifically."

Marinette held up another wedding dress. It was a halter A-line dress in white with sequins all over the hem, and the sleeves were elbow-length petal sleeves.

"And this is the one I want to try out!" Alya said as she brought out a strapless tea-length dress with a large orange rosette bow in the back.

"Hey, Alya! I know that you want to try a dress on too, but wait your turn!" Marinette joked.

"Come on girl," Alya protested. "What about you?"

The girls started playfully bickering, both eager to put a dress on and one-up each other.

Audrey merely sighed, crossed her arms, and muttered, "Ridiculous. Utterly ridiculous."

Chloé giggled and then she asked, "So mommy, can they try the dresses on?"

"Out of the question!" Audrey snapped. "I worked my ass off to get these dresses done! They'll just have to wait until the show's over."

"But I promised them, mommy!" Chloé said, about to get petty about the issue.

"Yeah, Mrs. Bourgeois," Alya said, getting close to Audrey. "Don't get all greedy about it!"

"Excuse me?! Greedy?!" Audrey snapped. "Listen here, missy! That dress isn't even fully done yet! Don't you go treating it as if it's an utterly ridiculous and tacky clearance dress!"

Alya backed off, and Marinette said, "Sorry, Mrs. Bourgeois."

Marinette went to put the dress she was holding on back. However, as she was walking over to the station, she tripped and wound up running into a mannequin. Then several other mannequins with dresses on them started falling and knocking each other over like dominos. Marinette's faced turned blue with fear as she could only imagine Audrey's reaction.

Seeing the mess, Audrey blew up and hollered, _"OUT OF THIS ROOM NOW! ALL THREE OF YOU!"_

The girls screamed in compliance and dashed out of the room to get out of Audrey's way, with Chloé shouting, _"Yes, mom!"_

On a rooftop across the street, Dark Cupid materialized and was standing on top of the roof. Nooroo was next to him.

"I feel it, Nooroo. The love wave coming from the Miraculous Something Four is definitely flowing in this part of the city," Dark Cupid said. "It's a disgusting, sickening feeling."

Nooroo merely paused for a few seconds and said, "...I'm not feeling anything."

"Of course not. Your senses are about as sharp as a cushion," Dark Cupid said, before pointing at the hotel. "Now get into that hotel and find the source of the love waves."

"Yes sir, Master!" Nooroo said before zipping off to scour the hotel from top to bottom.

The girls had retreated into Chloé's bedroom, with Marinette and Alya sitting in chairs while Chloé sat on her bed. They all breathed out sighs of relief since they were scared to death of Audrey's temper.

"Sorry about that, Marinette." Chloé said.

"Not your fault," Marinette said. "It was all me! I should've been paying attention to what I was doing."

"Yeah, Chloé," Alya said. "I know you have a tendency to blame others for something you did, but _now_ you're apologizing over something Marinette and I did? You shouldn't do either."

Marinette nodded in agreement.

"Sorry," Chloé said. "Whenever mom is busier than normal, she gets _nastier_ than normal. She's a harsh critic and her standards are high, but when fashion shows are coming up, it gets even _worse_."

"No kidding." Alya said.

The girls were completely unaware that Nooroo had snuck in through one of the windows and was now sneaking around Chloé's bedroom to find the source of the love waves.

"Anyway, Chloé, I have a favor to ask you." Marinette said, turning to face Chloé with a smile.

"Anything you want." Chloé said with a smirk.

"Is there a chance I can show your mom my designs? I've got a few wedding dresses in my sketchbook I want her to see." Marinette said.

"I'll do you one better," Chloé said. "How about we make it so that way your dress is not only in the show, but you get to model it, too?!"

"I think that might be going too far, Chloé!" Marinette protested. "I'm no model, just a designer!"

"Don't worry about it, Marinette," Chloé said. "What better person to show off her own designs than the designer herself?"

"She has a point..." Alya said.

"Well, if you say so..." Marinette said as she went over to the bed where Chloé was sitting. She took up a plush ladybug and hugged it close, unaware that Nooroo was moving around under the sheets.

"I can't believe it... Me, a model? Geez, what would my dad think?" Marinette jokingly asked before lying down.

She ended up crushing Nooroo under her back, but for some reason she was so preoccupied with her dreams that she failed to register the purple kwami underneath her.

 _'Ow! My tongue!'_ Nooroo thought.

* * *

Later that night, Chloé had changed into her night gown and she had asked her butler Jean-Yves to accompany her to her mother's workspace.

Jean and Chloé approached Audrey's office in the hotel, with Jean-Yves carrying a tray with a tea pot, cup and saucer. He knocked on the door and said, "Madame, I have brought you some tea. Mademoiselle is accompanying me."

"Come in." Audrey said.

Jean opened the door and he and Chloé walked in to see Audrey working tirelessly on the dresses, and several of the completed pieces were already on mannequins.

As Jean went to put the teapot down, Audrey said, "Kylie - er, Chloé, what are you still doing up? Don't you have school tomorrow?"

"Just came to make sure you were doing the best you could, mommy," Chloé said, sidling up to her mother. "By the way, I have something I need to ask you."

"Make it quick." Audrey stated, not looking up from her work.

"Marinette asked me if she could show you some of her designs," Chloé said. "And I have her sketchbook and measurements right here. I told her that I could make so we could make one of her designs and she could model it."

"No," Audrey said, to Chloé's surprise. "There's not enough time to create an entirely new dress for her. And she's no model, just a designer!"

"She could wear my dress for the show. Our measurements are practically identical, and-" Chloé suggested.

"Claudi - er, Chloé!" Audrey snapped. "Are you backing out of the fashion show?! Just say the word and you'll be fired!"

"No, not at all! I just think that we need to let Marinette show what she's-" Chloé began, but...

"We both know how exceptional Marinette is," Audrey said. "Yes, I want to make her the biggest name in fashion after Gabriel Agreste, but this isn't the time or place for it. Are you completely unaware of how much this means to me?!"

"Hey, I never wanted you to wear yourself out or make yourself miserable with your work, mom!" Chloé screamed before running out of the office and slamming the door.

Audrey sighed, pulled her glasses down and pinched the bridge of her nose, muttering, "Ridiculous. Utterly ridiculous."

Unknown to her, Nooroo was hiding in the room. He looked around to try and find the source of the love wave and saw the slew of wedding dresses in the room.

The kwami retreated outside and began to shout, _"Master Dark Cupid, I found it! I found it, Master Dark Cupid!"_

 _"QUIET!"_ Dark Cupid hollered back as he materialized in front of his kwami. He had a devious smirk on his face and was ready to find his target.

Audrey was still working on the dresses, in front of the sewing machine. Dark Cupid was hovering outside the window, and then he made some of his akuma energy flow into the crack of the open window. It hit Audrey in the back, and she slumped down on the floor, exhausted.

The two akumas materialized in the room, and Nooroo informed his master, "The feeling of the love wave is coming from somewhere in all these wedding gowns."

"Look at these dresses. Can't help but be reminded of someone I can't stand," Dark Cupid said, remembering the times he had fought off Ladybug. "So the Miraculous Something Four is somewhere in this room, then."

Dark Cupid ripped a dress off the mannequin as he and Nooroo started to tear the room up to try and find the Miraculous Something Four.

However, all of the sounds from the crashing and ripping of the fabric was so loud, that Chloé stirred from her sleep. She sat up in the bed, thoroughly awake, and lifted up her sleeping mask. She turned on a lamp as she swung her legs out of the bed.

"What the hell is happening?! Especially this late?!" Chloé griped as she got out of bed and put on her slippers to go and check out what the ruckus was all about.

Within minutes, Dark Cupid and Nooroo had knocked over all the mannequins and yet they came up empty.

"Damn it. No sign of the Miraculous Something Four!" Dark Cupid said before giving Nooroo a side-glare. Nooroo flinched as Dark Cupid grabbed the kwami by the abdomen. "Looks like bridal clothing radiate a wave that's almost identical to the Miraculous Something Four. Know this for future reference, Nooroo."

"Understood, Master Dark Cupid!" Nooroo said, almost choking.

There was a loud knock on the door and then Chloé shouted, "Mommy, are you okay in there?! I heard crashing noises!"

Realizing that they were about to be found out, Dark Cupid and Nooroo flew out the window.

Chloé barged her way into the room and she screamed at the sight of all the ruined dresses around the room. She saw her mother was slumped against her workspace and then she dashed over.

"Mommy! Wake up! Are you okay, mommy?!" Chloé asked, trying to get her mother to wake.

Nooroo was hanging outside the window and then he opened his mouth. A shot of akuma energy hit Audrey in the back as she stirred and woke up.

"What am I doing in here...? What the hell?!" Audrey screeched as she saw every piece of her hard work was ruined. She then turned to Chloé in rage. "Cassie - er, Chloé! Was this your doing?!"

"Don't look at me! It was like this when I came in!" Chloé said, waving her hands in defense.

"Don't you lie to me, you little pest!" Audrey shouted as she backhanded Chloé on the cheek, knocking her to the ground.

Just then, the akuma energy left Audrey and she gasped as she saw what she had done, before saying, "No! Chloé!"

Chloé sat up on her knees in shock, slowly bringing her hand to her reddened cheek. She began crying. To someone on the outside looking in, it looked like Chloé was just faking it to get what she wanted. But this time, it was genuine.

"How could you?!" Chloé screamed at her mother before standing up and running out the room, bawling like a baby.

Audrey was left standing in the room in complete shock.

Nooroo chuckled in triumph as he disappeared into the night. Dark Cupid was hovering over the building, chuckling evilly before saying, "Humans are such fools."

* * *

The next day at school, the fencing team was in the yard and practicing. Adrien was giving it his all trying to defeat his opponent with ease. He touched his opponent with his rapier and then he backed off after a victory.

He took off his mask and he shook the sweat off his hair while breathing. He then turned around to see Marinette sitting on the stairs, scribbling in her sketchbook like a madwoman.

Seeing what she was doing, Adrien put his rapier down and started to approach. He was curious.

"Okay, then... Maybe some lace on the bodice..." Marinette muttered.

"It's going to be fine, Marinette," Tikki said. "I'm sure any design you make to show Audrey would be great!"

"Yeah. Audrey Bourgeois, the most intense fashion critic in the world... The fact that she thinks I do good work at all is amazing." Marinette muttered.

"Audrey Bourgeois? Chloé's mom?" Adrien asked as he approached Marinette at the bottom of the stairs. Tikki ducked into Marinette's clutch to hide.

"Yes, Chloé's mother," Marinette said, looking off to the side. "What's the problem with that?"

"Nothing, but what are you drawing that's so important that you're freaking out?" Adrien asked.

"I wanted to show Mrs. Bourgeois some of my designs, but Chloé said that she would not only try and get one of my dresses into the show, but put me _in_ the dress," Marinette explained. "I told her it was overkill."

"Yeah, overkill," Adrien said, before chuckling. "I don't think you could pull off a dress you designed quite yet."

"What is _that_ supposed to mean?" Marinette asked, annoyed.

"Sometimes the designer isn't the best person to show off the clothes." Adrien said, speaking as someone who worked in fashion.

"True, you have to look at the fashion show with a designer's eye." Marinette said, understanding what Adrien was trying to say.

"Exactly. Not only that, but even if this is a _bridal_ fashion show, you'd still need a groom," Adrien teased before giving Marinette a teasing smile. "And what better person to model the tux than me?"

The image of Adrien in a black tux while Marinette was in her own wedding dress, standing next to him while on the runway just made her feel... Weird.

"Okay, definitely not," Marinette said, shaking her head. "Yes, you could pull it off, and I can see it happening, just not with _me_."

Adrien held back a laugh.

However, the two of them heard bawling coming from another part of the schoolyard. Marinette saw that Alya was sitting on a bench, comforting a crying girl. Blonde hair in a ponytail, sunglasses on her head...

"Is that Chloé?" Marinette asked as she stood up.

"What is she whining about _now?_ " Adrien asked, not impressed.

Marinette immediately ran down the stairs to go and check on Chloé. Adrien was following her, a bit curious.

"Chloé? What's wrong?" Marinette asked as she ran up to her best friends and saw how loud and dramatic Chloé was being with her wailing and her tears.

Alya looked up to Marinette with a worried look on her face before turning back to Chloé. Chloé just barely looked up to Marinette, all choked up and teary-eyed.

"What's with the crocodile tears?" Adrien asked.

Marinette and Alya glared at Adrien before turning back to their friend.

"The dresses... Ruined..." Chloé sobbed.

"Calm down and speak clearly, Chloé," Alya said. "What was that about the dresses?"

Chloé took some shuddering, deep breaths, and then she said, "Somehow the dresses for the fashion show were completely wrecked!"

 _"What?!"_ Alya and Marinette shouted, in shock.

"And that's not even the _worst_ part!" Chloé said before beginning to bawl again.

"What's worse than the dresses getting ruined, Chloé?" Alya asked, worried about her friend.

Once Chloé had calmed down a bit, they started walking back to the hotel to back up Chloé. But what she reported to her friends was completely _horrific_.

"She did _what?!"_ Alya shouted, horrified at the report.

Chloé gave a nod.

"I knew Audrey wasn't always the _best_ mom in the world, but _this_ is obscene!" Marinette said, utterly gobsmacked at the concept.

"Yeah! We gotta go and give her a piece of our minds!" Alya agreed.

"Don't bother," Chloé scoffed. "You know she only takes you two seriously because you're my friends and because Marinette's got fashion talent. She wouldn't listen to you."

"Doesn't matter if she's the Queen of Fashion or whatever! Doesn't exempt her from hitting you!" Alya protested.

"Alya's right," Marinette said. "We need to set Mrs. Bourgeois straight."

Back with André and Audrey, they were looking over the mess that was in the room. André with worry, Audrey with anger.

"What could have triggered our dear little Chloé into doing something like this?" André asked.

"Who cares?" Audrey said, crossing her arms. "Clearly, even with her friends helping her out, some things never change. She's going to be..."

"Enough, both of you!" Marinette said, as she, Alya, and Chloé were standing at the door of the workshop. Butler Jean had opened the door for them. "Yes, Chloé still has her petty moments..."

"Marinette!" Chloé protested.

"But when it comes to your work, Mrs. Bourgeois, she respects you and your work too much to do ruin it!" Marinette said, crossing her arms.

"Yeah, how do you know something else didn't cause this?" Alya said. "Maybe a thief got in and created this disaster or something else happened altogether?"

Marinette stepped forward and stood in front of Audrey, unafraid.

"I've always admired you and feared you at the same time, Mrs. Bourgeois. I always wanted to go into fashion and wanted to do something to make you proud of me," Marinette said. "But now I'm not so sure _what_ to think of you."

Audrey's eye widened a bit at this comment.

"My mother isn't around anymore, but I always hoped that if she _was_ , then she would be trusting and sweet to me. What kind of mother doesn't trust her own daughter?!" Marinette said, as she started to cry.

"Marinette..." Chloé said, surprised she would stand up to her mother like this.

For Audrey, being chewed out was a new experience. She sighed, a combination of annoyed and impressed.

"Marinette," Audrey said, causing the pigtailed girl to look up at her. "I admit that I don't like when people talk back to me, but I guess you have a point."

Marinette sighed in relief before telling Audrey, "Thank you."

"Chloé," Audrey said. "I was wrong not to have faith in you."

"Mommy..." Chloé said, about to cry tears of joy.

Everyone became all smiles again as they started to feel better. Marinette smiled and wiped away her tears, happy that everyone was making up.

Nooroo, who was standing guard outside, sensed the love wave radiating from the building, shivered, and then said, "Hang on! Another love wave?!"

Audrey had asked Jean to get a slew of older dresses from out of the closet, and then she said, "Marinette, with you and I working together, we can doctor up these out-of-date disasters into something more proper for the show."

"Are you sure about this, mommy? Using such out-of-style clothes?" Chloé asked.

"If the dresses I made hadn't been wrecked, I wouldn't even _think_ of it," Audrey said, hands on her hips. "But with Marinette's exceptional sewing skills, we can get these together. Besides, sometimes the best part of the dress isn't the dress itself, but the person wearing it and their feelings."

Out of nowhere, another purple gust of wind blew into the room and the scenery turned purple.

"Not again!" Marinette shouted.

"Hah! The feelings of the person wearing the dress, huh? How precious." Dark Cupid sarcastically said as he materialized with Nooroo at his side.

 _"Dark Cupid!"_ Marinette and Alya shouted.

"Oh, _now_ what do you want?!" Chloé complained, remembering him from a previous encounter.

"I'm here for the Miraculous Something Four. Now that I've found it, I'm just here to take it." Dark Cupid said.

"Make a break for it, everyone!" Marinette shouted.

Dark Cupid raised his hand and then he blasted a wind out of it. Alya and Marinette were shot out of the room and thrown against the wall.

"Damn, that stupid cupid can hit hard, and not just with his arrows." Alya said as she rubbed her but.

"No time to talk!" Marinette said as she let Tikki out of her clutch. "We gotta get the drop on that akuma!"

Alya nodded as she let Trixx come out of hiding.

 _"Lucky Wedding Flower!" "Cunning Wedding Flower!"_

After the girls transformed into their wedding dresses, Ladybug said, "Come on, Rena! Let's do this!"

"Right!" Rena Rouge said, ready to fight.

Chloé had her back against the wall as she looked at her fallen parents. She shouted, "Mommy, daddy! Get up!"

However, Dark Cupid confronted her and he said, "So, you have a piece of the Miraculous Something Four. Tell me where it is so I don't have to ransack the room like I did last night."

"So _you_ were the one who did this?! Once my parents wake up, you're in BIG TROUBLE! How _dare_ you damage the property of the Mayor of Paris and the Queen of Fashion?!" Chloé screeched.

"You're going to pay for that tenfold, Dark Cupid!" Ladybug said as she and Rena Rouge stepped into the room.

"So, Ladybug and Rena Rouge? Let's get this show on the road!" Dark Cupid said as he took out an arrow and shot it at the girls.

Ladybug ducked and dodged, as did Rena, and both closed in on the akuma.

"Chloé, run for it!" Ladybug said.

"No need to tell me twice!" Chloé screamed as she took the dress she had in hand and ran out of the room.

"You're going to get it for causing Chloé this much distress!" Ladybug declared.

Dark Cupid merely broke out of the window and flew off.

"Damn it!" Rena Rouge said.

"You go after him! You're more agile than me. I'll make sure Chloé's okay!" Ladybug said.

"Got it!" Rena said as she leaped out the window to chase after Dark Cupid while Ladybug ran out the door to keep Chloé safe.

Chloé had ran into her bedroom and was catching her breath.

"What the hell is going on?!" Chloé asked.

A shadow came up behind her, and Chloé turned around to see her mom.

"Oh, mommy..." Chloé said, but then she saw that Audrey was holding a pair of scissors and her eyes were white with red markings on her cheeks. She even ditched her sunglasses.

"Give me the dress." Audrey darkly said.

"What?!" Chloé shouted.

Audrey lunged at her with the scissors in hand, but Chloé ducked out of the way. The scissors cut into the ladybug plush that was on the bed.

"Mommy, what is wrong with you?!" Chloé asked. "Snap out of this!"

"Give me the dress!" Audrey shouted again before leaping over one of the furniture pieces and lunging at Chloé again.

Chloé ducked out of the way, and Audrey literally missed her by a hair. Chloé ran up against the wall as Audrey tried once more to hurt her, only for Ladybug to leap in and use her yo-yo like a shield to block the scissors.

"Marinette?!" Chloé asked.

Ladybug did not answer. Then Audrey pushed Ladybug to the ground and once again raised her scissors to Chloé. Chloé landed on the ground and curled up, scared.

Just then, a bright yellow light in her hands started glowing.

Audrey backed off, covering her eyes.

Ladybug looked up and saw Chloé open up the palm of her hands. In her hand was a golden comb. It had an arch on top with nine teeth in it. The design of the comb was made to resemble a bee, with the head of the bee in a larger black gemstone while the thorax was a smaller one. The abdomen had seven alternating stripes, four in yellow and three in black. The wings on the arch of the comb had sections to resemble the wings of a bee, too.

In a flash of yellow light, a kwami appeared. She looked like a bee with large blue eyes and was looking at Chloé sweetly.

"Hello, my queen. My name Pollen!" The kwami said as she bowed to Chloé.

"What? What are you?!" Chloé asked, shocked at the creature.

"She's a kwami!" Ladybug quickly explained. "You put the comb in your hair and..."

"Chloé," A voice said, and a white orb appeared above the Miraculous. Master Fu appeared in the orb and smiled at her. "You are the third Love Angel, Angel Queen Bee. To activate the Bee Miraculous, you must say "Growing Wedding Flower.""

Chloé merely nodded and quickly placed the comb in her hair near her ponytail. She said, "Understood!"

 _"Growing Wedding Flower!"_ Chloé shouted as she transformed.

In a wave of light, the bangs of her hair were untucked from her earlobes, and a black and yellow domino mask appeared over her face. Her ponytail's hairband turned black and two pieces of fabric appeared to resemble a bee's antennae. As her ponytail was curled to look like a bee stinger, her hair grew a black streak in it, as well. Her clothes also changed into a yellow princess-style wedding dress with an illusion neckline, the sheer part of the neckline in black and the yellow sleeves went down to her elbows. There were black stripes near the hem of the dress while the bodice of the dress had golden-yellow sequins in it. There was a transparent yellow veil attached to the Miraculous that covered her ponytail, and she was holding a bouquet of bee balms and goldenrods.

"Wow! So I'm Angel Queen Bee?" Chloé said as she examined herself.

"No time to waste, Queen Bee," Ladybug said. "Nooroo's in your mother's body! We gotta get him out! Come on!"

Queen Bee immediately followed Ladybug out the door to chase after Nooroo.

Meanwhile, Rena Rouge was leaping across the rooftops in her dress to catch up to Dark Cupid.

"Hey, don't be a coward! Face me like a real warrior!" Rena shouted as Dark Cupid landed on top of a roof and Rena confronted him on a lower level.

"Such courage, but you were so easily led away from your friend," Dark Cupid said. "You really aren't that smart for a Love Angel. By now, Nooroo has already stolen the Miraculous Something Four."

"Bullcrap!" Rena Rouge said, taking out her flute and smirking in triumph. "Ladybug's got that covered. Did you forget that there are _two_ Love Angels?"

"Master Dark Cupid!" Nooroo shouted, still possessing Audrey.

"What's going on, Nooroo?" Dark Cupid demanded. "Where's the Miraculous Something Four?!"

"There's... There's... Another one!" Nooroo shouted.

"Yes, I know there are _two_ Love Angels, Nooroo." Dark Cupid said, exasperated.

"Make that _three!_ " Ladybug said, with Queen Bee standing next to her.

"What?!" Dark Cupid said, surprised.

"Chloé?" Rena asked, also surprised.

"Ladybug, Rena Rouge, shall we ditch the dresses and get into battle gear?" Queen Bee asked.

"You know it!" Rena Rouge said, with Ladybug nodding in agreement.

 _"Angel Creation Ladybug!" "Angel Illusion Rena Rouge!" "Angel Subjection Queen Bee!"_

Ladybug and Rena Rouge changed into their combat suits, as did Queen Bee. Hers was in yellow, with tons of tiny hexagons in the pattern paying homage to honeycombs. There were black stripes on her suit, too: three on her torso, two on her upper thighs on her legs. Underneath the second of the stripes the rest of the lower leg was black, but the soles of her shoes were yellow. Her arms were black, but the fingers on her gloves were yellow, and the top of her rib cage was also covered in black. There was also a yellow and black top on her waist.

"Crap. _Three_ Love Angels now?! Nooroo!" Dark Cupid said as he blasted akuma energy into Audrey, causing her scissors to grow to a gigantic size.

The girls started jumping and dodging everywhere as Audrey chased them around. Rena Rouge jumped and kicked Audrey in the back, causing her to trip. Every time Audrey tried to cut the girls with her scissors, they found a way to evade it.

The scissors were strong enough to pierce the concrete on the roof and she even cut the door to the rooftop clean in half.

"Geez, she's faster than we gave her credit for!" Rena Rouge said.

"I've got this!" Queen Bee said.

She took out her top and spun it before shouting, _"Venom Spin!"_

Queen Bee shot the top by the string. It hit the ground and started spinning while circling around Audrey, and then it leaped off the concrete and hit Audrey smack in the chest. She was paralyzed in movement and she was still in a running position.

The top immediately returned to Queen Bee's hand, and then she said, "You're on, Ladybug!"

"Got it!" Ladybug said, taking her yo-yo out. She opened it up, started spinning it and then she began to generate a white light blast. _"Ladybug Bridal Blast!"_

The white flash landed a direct hit and Nooroo was forced out. He was screaming and whining before flying off into the air. Audrey collapsed onto the roof and the scissors disappeared.

The trio confronted Dark Cupid. Realizing he was outnumbered, he dematerialized before vowing, "I won't forget about this!"

Ladybug took her yo-yo out and raised it up to the sky while shouting, _"Miraculous Ladybug!"_

All damage was repaired in an instant in a wave of red and black light.

 _"Pound it!"_ The trio said as they did a three-way fist bump.

"Nice work, Queen Bee." Rena Rouge said.

"Thanks, Rena Rouge," Queen Bee said before realizing something. "Shit! Mom!"

She ran over to her mom to check her over.

"Don't worry, Queen Bee," Ladybug said with a smile. "Mrs. Bourgeois should be fine now."

"Thanks, you two," Queen Bee said as she stood up. "I'm still a rookie and an outsider, so I hope you two can help me out from here on in."

"You got it." Ladybug said as the girls shared a high-five with each other.

Unknown to them, they were being watched by their ally, Carapace. He was standing on a roof nearby and he said, "Well, looks like all three of our Love Angels are in the world now. Nice work, Master Fu."

Some time passed, and Marinette and Alya were now in the audience for the bridal festival. Wedding couples were walking up and down the runway, all in the modified dresses.

"Wow, these are great!" Marinette said. "I wish one of my designs would have made it up there."

"You and I both know that it would have been too short notice to create a dress for the show," Alya said. "Besides, we can have an entire show dedicated to _your_ wedding dresses in the future."

"I know we will." Marinette said.

"Oh hey! Chloé's up!" Alya said as she pointed at the stage.

Chloé was standing at the beginning of the catwalk wearing an ivory mermaid dress with an asymmetrical neckline and was holding a bouquet of off-white roses.

"Wow, she looks amazing!" Marinette said as she watched Chloé walk down the runway.

Chloé looked at her family in the crowd and then she smiled, thinking, _'Mommy, someday I'll become an exceptional woman worthy to be called your daughter! And I'll have Marinette make my wedding dress!'_

Chloé tossed the bouquet and then Alya and Marinette caught it together. They then laughed.

Trixx, Tikki, and Pollen were hiding backstage, and then they all smiled, happy their owners were already a great team and even better friends.

* * *

 **Alright, let's hope I get more response to this story now that Queen Bee is on the team! The more views and comments I get, the better.**

 **Now, I read up on the newest episode "Chameleon" and while I was sort of expecting Marinette and Lila to be at war and Lila threatening to cause Marinette to wind up alone, I think we can all agree that Marinette's going to win, so I'm not that worried, _and_ I'm trying my best to relax about it (I hope everyone else can chill out, too). One way I'm going to do that is to skip any Lila-centered episodes. Say what you want, but the only real drama in this show that I can really handle is BoyXGirlXBoy love triangles (You know, Lukanette VS. Adrienette). **

**Hopefully once Marinette wins the fight, either A: Lila will get what's coming to her and then some development and becomes more honest and less of a glutton for punishment and attention, or B: Lila gets written out completely! I'm personally hoping for B, anyone with me on this?**

 **Speaking of that vixen, YES, she'll have a villain arc as Volpina in this story, but that's not going to be until somewhere halfway here. That, and I'm planning on having her as more of a nuisance than anything because every time I think about all that trouble that witch is going to cause, I feel sick to my stomach. Honestly, Lila makes _Chloé_ look like the lesser of two evils. Does anyone else feel that way?**

 **Coming up, Marinette is asked by another schoolmate to deliver a love letter to _Adrien_ of all people, but when they get into an argument, a powered-up Nooroo possesses Adrien and tries to choke Marinette out to try and lure Ladybug out of hiding! What's going to come out of this one?**


	6. Nooroo Retaliates!

**Alright, everyone, time for the crap to really hit the fan! Marinette is asked by schoolmate Mireille to deliver a love note to Adrien, but a powered-up Nooroo interferes in the exchange and possesses Adrien in order to attempt to kill Marinette! How can Marinette fight back as Ladybug when she's losing her air?!**

* * *

In the akuma realm, the castle was the center of the scene.

"Love... What a disgusting energy. And the power of that affronting love will soon seep into the akuma realm," Mayura said as she was looking at a crystal ball. The image of Ladybug standing proud was "And it's all because of those Love Angels who have reemerged in the human realm. The ones responsible for the love wave."

Several kwamis were watching in fear of the queen. With a snap of her fingers, Mayura caused the image of Ladybug to disintegrate into dust.

"The only thing that lasts forever is evil!" Mayura said.

The kwamis flew off in fear of the queen's wrath and then they were flying in fear and screams. A flash of white light and Nooroo's scream rang out.

The kwamis peeked into a hole in the wall and saw poor Nooroo tangled up in thorny branches while being subjected to blasts of akuma energy at the hands of Dark Cupid.

"Master Dark Cupid, forgive me, I beg you!" Nooroo said, his voice strangled with pain.

"Idiot," Dark Cupid said. "Repeatedly, I've seen you chicken out and run off at the power of the Love Angels. What were you thinking, not taking the time to train and strengthen your hatred?! If you had, then I wouldn't be disciplining you like this, Nooroo."

"Please, no more disciplinary action!" Nooroo begged.

But to no avail. Another blast of akuma energy shot through the thorns and into the poor kwami like a prolonged blast of lightning. The kwamis watching ducked and flew off in fear.

Nooroo was screaming in agony as Dark Cupid said, "Good. Absorb the hatred and evil like a sponge and use that rage to strengthen yourself. Wear the hideousness and the anger you have in your heart as if it were the highest badge of honor in the akuma realm!"

Nooroo's screams faded as his eyes became sharper and crueler and he had an evil scowl on his face. Dark Cupid was chuckling in triumph.

At school, the girls were working on their next post for the blog while the kwamis were flying around in the room and playing. This time the subject summer casual clothes, and as always, Chloé was the model for the blog post.

"Okay, so maybe this shot of you in the yellow capris shorts paired with the yellow and white camisole would work?" Alya asked Chloé.

"No, the shorts leave absolutely _nothing_ to the imagination. Imagine Mr. Damocles' reaction if he saw that!" Chloé said.

"But knowing _you_ , you'd probably use the "mayor's daughter" excuse to let us get away with it." Alya said with a smirk.

The girls began to laugh at that prospect, knowing how true that it would be.

Marinette was scrolling through some pictures on her phone and then she pulled up the blog. Looking it over, she noticed a common thread: all of the posts had Chloé as the model for the clothes.

"Um, girls?" Marinette asked. Tikki flew next to her owner, noticing the curiosity on her face.

"What's the matter, Marinette?" Alya asked as Trixx came next to her.

"Are you sure constantly using Chloé as the model is a good idea?" Marinette asked.

"What do you mean? _Of course_ it's a good idea!" Chloé said. "I make _everything_ I wear look _fabulous!_ "

"I don't think that's what Marinette's talking about, Chloé." Tikki said.

"Tikki is right. My queen, I think it wise to listen to Lady Marinette's opinion on this matter." Pollen said, bowing to Chloé.

Chloé, realizing Pollen had a point, gave Marinette a nod and motioned for her to continue.

"Thanks, Pollen," Marinette said, with Tikki smiling in agreement. "I'm just wondering if it's okay to use the same model for every single post. After all, people might get bored and want to see someone else in the clothes."

"Marinette's got a point," Trixx said. "People get bored when things get repetitive."

"Ugh, _fine_ ," Chloé griped before noticing Marinette was on her phone and she took it into her hand before facing the screen to her face. A devious smile grew and she started to giggle. "Why Marinette, why didn't you say that you wanted to pictures of _him_ in the post?"

Alya looked on Marinette's phone and saw a few screenshots of Adrien Agreste they took at a previous event. He was in basic model poses in each photo and he was wearing several summer-themed outfits, in pure white for the most part.

"Oh, Adrien Agreste, huh?" Alya said, a teasing tone in her voice. "Marinette, you should have said something!"

"Beg your pardon?! As if I'd want to put a picture of _him_ on our blog, especially not without his permission," Marinette said, pink in the face as she snatched her phone back and turned her face away to avoid the embarrassment. "All I'm saying is that we need to be diverse in our model choices. Modeling isn't a "one size fits all" thing after all. Just because Chloé looks good in one outfit doesn't mean she'll look good in _everything_."

"Is that so?" Alya teased. Chloé and the kwamis were also giggling at this revelation.

"Sure you don't have something to hide, Marinette?" Chloé teased.

Marinette's face went from pink to red as she faced the insinuation of her friends.

"You're the ones jumping to conclusions," Marinette protested, shaking her head. "Look, I'm swiping out of my photos app."

She pressed the home button on her phone and the pictures app appeared in the background. She swiped it up to shut the app down and then she said, "There. I was just on the picture randomly, girls."

Marinette was giggling forcefully, but Chloé and Alya were suspicious of Marinette's denial.

There was a knock on the door and then the girls turned to it. The door opened, and a girl with short, dark blue hair and brown eyes came in.

"Um... I beg your pardon..." She said.

"Oh, Mireille," Marinette said. "What's going on?"

Mireille had taken Marinette out into the schoolyard and she handed her an envelope with a heart sticker on the seal.

"What's this?" Marinette asked.

"I... I want you to pass this along to somebody... I can't really trust anyone else with this." Mireille admitted, blushing and her eyes to the ground.

"Ooh! Is this a love letter?! How classic! I'm surprised anyone writes these anymore!" Marinette said, completely excited about the prospect. "So, who's the lucky guy this letter's meant for?! Someone I know?! Is he older than you? Younger?! Come on, Mireille, details!"

"It's for Adrien," Mireille said, causing Marinette to stop in her tracks and look at Mireille like she had spoken a completely different language. "Adrien Agreste."

Speaking of the blonde, he was fencing in the yard with the rest of his team as they spoke.

"Ah, got it, it's for Adrien." Marinette said flatly.

"Please, Marinette," Mireille said as she handed the letter to Marinette. "Could you give this to Adrien for me?"

"Okay." Marinette said after a brief bit of hesitation.

"Really?! Thank you so much, Marinette!" Mireille said.

"It's no problem, Mireille," Marinette said a bit sheepishly. "Anything to help you out."

"Well... About Adrien," Mireille said. "I'm having a bit of trouble saying this, but I'm not even sure he's interested in me or even knows I exist. Sometimes a sign is all it takes. And then he'd at least know I'm out there."

Marinette let this piece sink in. It must have taken a lot of courage for Mireille to talk to her about this. She nodded in understanding.

"See you later, Marinette," Mireille said as she placed the letter in Marinette's hand. "I'm trusting you with this!"

"Hey, Mireille!" Marinette said as her schoolmate ran off.

She then turned back to watch as the fencing team kept going at it with their practice. And Adrien was the star of the team. Marinette sighed and pulled the letter up to her face, saying, "Wonders never cease. Who knew that girls like Mireille would be into guys like Adrien... But then again, he's popular enough as it is..."

"You sure you can deal with this?" Chloé asked.

"Yeah, how are you feeling about this?" Alya asked.

Marinette looked to the bench and saw Alya and Chloé had taken a seat.

"What?! How much of that did you see?!" Marinette squeaked.

"You sure you don't mind playing middle-woman for Mireille?" Alya asked again.

"If you're so upset about it, you should have said something from the beginning." Chloé stated.

"Excuse me?" Marinette asked. "What are you talking about?"

"That letter in your hands is for Adrien, right?" Chloé asked. "Old-fashioned, but meaningful."

"I'm sure the compass is going completely berserk." Alya said.

"Nice try, but you're completely off-point," Marinette said. "There's nothing between Adrien and I. No romance at all. And whenever the two of us chat, he calls me "Mariboo" and then our conversations always wind up turning into an argument."

"Exactly," Alya said, causing Marinette to turn to her best friends. "The saying goes "a good relationship is worth fighting for," Marinette."

"What relationship?" Marinette asked rhetorically as she turned her back on her friends to hide the pink tint on her face.

 _"Incoming!"_ Someone shouted.

Marinette turned around too late to see a stray soccer ball flying her way, and it hit her right in the face.

Marinette wound up landing on her back on the ground and was down for the count.

"Hey!" Adrien shouted as he ran over to Marinette. " _Mon dieu!_ You okay down there, Mariboo?!"

"I... Can't stand him, okay...?" Marinette muttered as she tried to get her bearings back.

"Mariboo?!" Adrien said as he bent down to check on her.

"You okay, Marinette?!" Alya asked.

"Marinette?! Wake up!" Chloé said.

Unknown to the girls, they were being watched by Nooroo. He overheard the entire exchange.

"So, "a good relationship is worth fighting for," huh?" Nooroo asked as he watched Marinette sit up. Adrien was apologizing for the ball, but Marinette was telling him that he should not apologize for something that was not his fault because she knew he was not the one playing soccer. "So, they'll thank me when I force them to fight to the death with each other."

* * *

Later on, Marinette was waiting nearby the Seine. She wondered if Adrien's chauffeur would drive by so she could catch up to him. Marinette was holding the letter in her hands and she sighed.

"What's the problem, Marinette?" Tikki asked.

"I wonder what's taking that guy so long? I've heard through the grapevine that he's got a tight schedule, but this is ridiculous." Marinette said. She stood up and decided to make her way to the stairs.

A fancy car rolled up against the road and then it stopped in front of Marinette. She backed away as the back seat door opened up and Adrien stepped out, carrying his fencing bag.

"Hey, Mariboo, what are you doing here? Waiting for me?" He teased.

"Very funny," Marinette deadpanned as she walked back down the stairs to the riverbank. "I'm not like others who would wait around for you like some lovesick fan girl."

Adrien followed Marinette down the stairs and he asked, "Then what are you doing here? Isn't the Dupain-Cheng bakery in the opposite direction?"

Marinette flinched at that and she sighed before handing the letter to Adrien.

"No," Marinette said casually. "I was only here so I could find a chance deliver this to you and then get the hell out of here."

Adrien took the letter in his hand and he said, "A love letter, huh?"

"Yeah, but I would assume that this isn't anything new for you. I wouldn't be surprised if you got fan mail and love letters every day." Marinette said.

"And you'd be right on both parts," Adrien said before giving her a cheshire grin. "So, admit it: you _have_ fallen for me, huh?"

"Wrong again, Adrien," Marinette said, turning to him and looking him in the eye. "I'm only the delivery girl. The letter is from Mireille Caquet."

"Mireille? You mean the KIDZ+ weather girl?" Adrien asked.

"Yep, her," Marinette said, before turning back to Adrien. "Though I have to wonder what she sees in you. The "handsome, rich model" thing is probably one of the obvious assumptions that people would think of, but I doubt that's what Mireille's thinking. Truth is, I think she deserves better than a troglodyte like you."

 _"Excuse me?!"_ Adrien said. "You've got no right to call me that, Mariboo!"

"Pot, kettle, black, Adrien. You can't say you have the right to call me "Mariboo," either." Marinette retorted.

Adrien grit his teeth in anger and said, "Then how about "klutzy whiner?!" Does that work?"

"Hey, what do you mean by that?!" Marinette asked.

The two of them started bickering back and forth with no end in sight. Apparently, the animosity between them was enough to bring Nooroo into the area. He appeared and was hovering above the pair.

He chuckled before saying, "Well, if arguing is love than this is definitely meant to be."

"Ugh, forget it!" Marinette said as she heaved a sigh. "I delivered the letter so I don't need to talk to you anymore today. I'm going home, alright?"

Marinette left Adrien with the letter in his hand. He watched her leave as Nooroo turned into a black akuma energy orb and flew into Adrien by his back. He went slack for a bit and dropped the letter and his fencing gear bag.

"So, you think I'm a troglodyte, eh?" Adrien asked with a smug chuckle in his voice.

"Well..." Marinette began, pausing in her walk.

"Then I guess you won't care if I do this." Adrien said.

"Do _what_ , exactly?" Marinette asked as she turned around.

Adrien, his eyes white and red markings on his cheeks lunged at Marinette and he tightly clasped his hands around her neck.

Marinette grabbed his hands and she choked out, "What are you...?!"

He merely chuckled as he continued choking Marinette.

She grabbed her clutch and swung the purse at him like her yo-yo and she managed to push him off her. Adrien held his hands back out, ready to attack again.

"What the hell?!" Marinette said as she touched her earrings and pulled out her x-ray screen. She directed it at Adrien and saw Nooroo was inside. "Nooroo again?!"

Adrien smacked the x-ray tablet, causing it to disappear and then he started choking Marinette again.

From inside Adrien's body, Nooroo said, "I hope you're watching, Master Dark Cupid! I'll choke that angel to death if she shows herself!"

"Adrien... Let go of me..." Marinette choked out, wheezing.

Tikki could only watch in horror, unable to do anything. Flying out of hiding right now was _not_ a good idea.

 _'Where are Alya and Chloé when you need them?!'_ Tikki thought, scared.

Chloé and Alya were at the mall to check out new pieces of jewelry and clothing for the blog. They wanted to make sure that they got some new materials they could write about.

"What about this one?!" Chloé said as she looked at a giant diamond-encrusted bracelet while wearing her sunglasses.

Alya had to cover her eyes, it was so damn bright.

"Probably not a good choice, Chloé. There'd be too much glare in the photo and not everyone can afford this." Alya said.

"Oh, fine," Chloé scoffed. "I guess we can look at something even the commoners can afford."

Alya sighed as she followed Alya through the jewelry boutique.

Back with Marinette, she was still being choked by Adrien, and while she was short of breath, she managed to choke out, "S-Stop... Adrien..."

"Alright, hurry up and come out, Love Angel! If you don't, this girl will be murdered at the hands of the boy she loves!" Nooroo said as he kept lookign around for signs of Ladybug.

Marinette blacked out and her head slumped. Her mind started flowing with the memories that she shared with Adrien. There was the time that he brought her to the nurse's office when her head got hit. She remembered the tender, fairytale-esque moment they shared in the nurse's office, with the sunlight bathing them from the window. She also remembered the Pierre-Bijou wedding where Adrien tried to protect her when the bride was possessed by Nooroo.

Thinking about her feelings, she started to generate a small but strong love wave. The energy from it flowed out from Marinette and into Adrien. The love wave could be sensed by Nooroo.

"Hang on... This warm energy... What is it?" Nooroo asked. His facial features started to soften as his exposure continued. "What the... My power's leaving me!"

The markings on Adrien's cheeks began to fade and his face started to turn back to normal as his hands left Marinette's neck.

"Adrien..." Marinette weakly said in relief.

"NO! I won't let the love wave defeat me again!" Nooroo shouted as his glare sharpened again and hate energy started to build up.

The explosion caused Marinette to be blasted away from Adrien and she fell on her back on the ground. Adrien then fell on his back, too. Marinette sat up as Nooroo, now ginormous came out of Adrien's body and started choking _him!_

"Hahaha! Hope you're ready to grieve, little girlie, because he'll be dead in no time!" Nooroo taunted.

"No! Adrien!" Marinette screamed in fear, which turned to anger. She let Tikki out of hiding. _"YOU'LL KILL HIM OVER MY DEAD BODY!"_

Nooroo turned around as Marinette stood up.

 _"Lucky Wedding Flower!"_

Marinette transformed into Ladybug and she stood before Nooroo, determined to fight back and defend Adrien.

"What the?! Ladybug?!" Nooroo shouted.

"Stay away from Adrien or you're going to regret it, Nooroo!" Ladybug demanded.

"I'm not the usual Nooroo! I won't be pushed around like always!" Nooroo declared as he shot some akuma energy at Ladybug.

Ladybug turned her bouquet into her yo-yo and she started spinning it and blasting out a ripple of her rainbow-colored love wave. The akuma energy was blasted into sparkles and the love wave began bathing Nooroo.

"Nooroo, please stop this!" Ladybug pleaded. "Leave Adrien out of this! He's a non-combatant and it's unethical to get non-combatants involved in others' fights!"

"Wh... Why should I care about this?!" Nooroo said.

"There's more to you than this nasty akuma side of you, right? I _know_ that!" Ladybug said.

This statement made Nooroo pause and he faced Ladybug.

"You could feel my love wave when you were inside Adrien just now, couldn't you? You _can_ feel the soothing energy of the love wave! Even as insignificant and indistinct as they were, you could feel the tremors of my feelings throughout your body!" Ladybug said.

"What's going on?! My powers...!" Nooroo shouted as all the akuma and hate energy left his body and he shrank down all the way to his normal size. His sharper features such as the tips of his wings softened down and the tips of the tails on his lower wings went from sharp arrows to hearts.

Ladybug retracted her yo-yo and gave a triumphant smile.

"Ugh... Not again..." Nooroo complained weakly.

"You pathetic _good-for-nothing!_ " Dark Cupid shouted as he blasted Nooroo from out of nowhere with hate energy.

 _"Nooroo!"_ Ladybug shouted in concern for the kwami. Nooroo was blasted off Adrien and he fell on his stomach.

Dark Cupid materialized in front of Adrien, confronting Ladybug and his back to Nooroo.

"M-Master... Dark Cupid..." Nooroo murmured.

"Hah! You're the scum of the akuma realm," Dark Cupid said as he turned his head to Nooroo. "This battle amongst all the ones that raged in the war between the angel and akuma realms, _this_ battle was supposed to be the _coup de gras_ , you _blunder-head!_ "

"War between the angel and akuma realms?" Ladybug asked.

"Right," Dark Cupid said. "Once the akumas get ahold of the Miraculous Something Four, our victory will be at hand and then the destruction of Fu's realm will start."

Ladybug's eyes widened at that and then she braced herself for another fight as Dark Cupid brought out his bow and arrows again.

"And the first one to have the honor of destruction will be _you_ , Ladybug!" Dark Cupid shouted as he shot an arrow.

Ladybug jumped out of the way and then she landed on the bridge's railing. She said, "You're not going to get away with it _that_ easily! _Bridal Change! Wedding Dress Transform! Angel Creation_ _Ladybug!"_

She changed into her jumpsuit and started spinning her yo-yo. Dark Cupid shot more arrows at Ladybug, but she deflected them and caused them to disappear using her yo-yo shield.

"I'll help you, Master Dark Cupid..." Nooroo said, weakly approaching his master.

But Dark Cupid knocked him to the ground on the side and then he aimed a hand at him. He generated black hatred energy and aimed it at Nooroo, saying, "A useless piece of garbage like you deserves to die."

Nooroo flinched and cowered, scared for his life.

Dark Cupid blasted his hatred at Nooroo, but Ladybug leaped in, snagged Nooroo by his abdomen and used her yo-yo shield to block the hate energy.

"What? Ladybug, you _saved_ me?" Nooroo asked, surprised.

Ladybug spun her yo-yo harder and harder and she stared Dark Cupid down with determination.

"So, is this how you're trying to show me the so-called "power of love?" Hah! You're a fool, Ladybug and it's time for you to die!" Dark Cupid said as he pumped more strength into his hate blast.

He managed to force Ladybug to step back a little bit as she kept her shield up. At one point, she was knocked off her feet and she had to retract her yo-yo, thus she took the brunt of the energy.

Back with Alya and Chloé, they were leaving the mall and they were on their way home. However, sensing the danger that Ladybug was in, Pollen and Trixx came out of hiding in fear.

"Trixx, what's going on?!" Alya asked. "You shouldn't be out right now!"

"I just felt a horrible feeling!" Trixx said.

"Yeah, the feeling of being mocked about my family's wealth." Alya said.

"No, Miss Alya! Trixx is talking about Her Grace Ladybug! We're sensing that she is in dire need!" Pollen said.

 _"What?!"_ Alya and Chloé said in shock.

"Then let's get going! Lead the way, Pollen!" Chloé shouted.

The girls took off after their kwamis to go and find their friend.

Ladybug was enduring the pain of the akuma blasting her and the feeling of her love wave shriveling up.

"Hahaha! See that, Ladybug? Using the powers of hatred and rage, your precious love wave will be depleted like non-renewable resources and then you'll have to give yourself up to the akumas!" Dark Cupid taunted.

"D-Don't be so sure!" Ladybug shot back.

"No... Ladybug's putting herself in harm's way for _my_ sake! What have I done?" Nooroo asked, about to cry tears of remorse.

Ladybug weakly turned back to the unconscious Adrien and she thought, _'Sorry for getting you tangled up in this, Adrien...'_

"Now, time for your demise!" Dark Cupid said as he reached for an arrow to shoot Ladybug straight into the heart.

But an orange flute flew out from out of nowhere and smacked his hand away, causing Dark Cupid to loose his aim and he shook his hand and wrist in pain.

The flute ricochetted off the ground of the Seine and then back into the hands of Rena Rouge.

"Don't get cocky, Dark Cupid!" Rena Rouge said as she held on to her flute. "Did you forget it's three-on-one?"

"Rena Rouge... Queen Bee..." Ladybug weakly said.

"Shall we?" Queen Bee asked.

"Let's." Rena Rouge replied.

 _"Bridal Change! Wedding Dress Transform!" "Angel Illusion Rena Rouge!" "Angel Subjection Queen Bee!"_

After the girls switched from their wedding dresses to their suits, they took out their weapons.

"Damn it! How dare these Love Angels..." Dark Cupid said.

 _"Mirage Bombard!"_ Rena Rouge shouted as she played her flute and shot bullets of orange lights.

 _"Venom Spin!"_ Queen Bee shouted while shooting her top and making it spin and circle around Dark Cupid. He flew out of the way just in time, and in response, the top flew back into Queen Bee's hand.

The girls looked up at Dark Cupid as he fled and said, "I won't lose next time!"

He then disappeared into the air while the angels tried to go and assess the situation and check up on Ladybug and Adrien.

"You okay, Ladybug? How are you feeling?" Queen Bee asked as Ladybug sat up on the pavement.

"I'm feeling okay now. Thanks, Queen Bee," Ladybug said. "How's Adrien?"

"He'll recover," Rena Rouge said as she examined him. "He's just unconscious. He probably won't remember anything that happened."

"That's good," Ladybug said. "When I tried to protect Nooroo..."

"What? Protect Nooroo? Why bother saving _that_ inconsequential kwami?" Rena Rouge asked.

"Yeah, good question. Why'd you go and put yourself in harm's way for an akuma ally?" Queen Bee asked.

"And now that I think about it... Where'd he fly off to?" Rena Rouge asked.

Ladybug stood up and said, "Nooroo? Nooroo, where are you?"

The others looked around for the kwami, more out of suspicion than anything, and Ladybug thought, _'I wonder... Does he have anywhere to go?'_

The next day at school, Mireille had met up with Marinette. She had a smile and a blush on her face, obviously delighted. She was holding an envelope in her hands, too.

"Thank you so much for yesterday, Marinette!" Mireille said.

"It's no problem at all, Mireille," Marinette said. "So, that letter in your hand..."

"Yep, Adrien replied to me!" Mireille said.

"That's great news, Mireille!" Marinette said, while thinking in annoyance, _'Replying to a love letter, huh? I guess that's a typical upper-class boy thing in the manners department. Then again, maybe not replying at all would have been rude.'_

"You can take a look if you want! I don't mind. I know you." Mireille said.

 _'Hah. I've heard that he sort of relies on movies and the like for social interaction. I'll bet he took a line out of a movie for his reply or used some other cliché way of putting it. Though I guess I'm curious...'_ Marinette thought.

She turned around and looked at the letter. She was surprised at what it said:

 _"I appreciate the letter and your feelings, but right now my true love is fencing!_

 _Thank you,  
Adrien"_

"You're kidding me... "His true love is fencing?!" That can't be for real." Marinette said in surprise.

"Yeah, it's for real! And this makes him even cooler and I can't help but fall for him even harder!" Mireille said with a giggle. "Thanks again for your help, Marinette!"

Mireille then skipped away in delight at the letter, leaving Marinette frozen to her spot.

"I don't believe it... So, his true love is fencing?" Marinette said, before cracking up like she had heard a good joke. "That's absolutely hilarious, Tikki!"

Tikki was laughing her little tush off too, before saying, "Yeah, it is! But I doubt that's going to be the last of the love letters he'll get."

"No kidding! I'll bet he uses that same line for every reply he writes!" Marinette laughed, clutching her sides.

"What's so funny this early in the morning?" Adrien asked as he walked by. "Your mouth is gaping open like a fish, silly. Oh... Marifish! Perfect!"

Marinette paused in her laughter as that name sunk in and she said, "Excuse me?! "Marifish!" And hey, who do you think you are, calling me something like that?! Geez!"

Marinette stormed off in anger, griping and whining about Adrien's comment. Meanwhile, Chloé and Alya were watching the entire exchange.

"Yep, that's a relationship you want to fight for," Alya said. "Those two are meant for each other."

"Tell me about it." Chloé agreed.

The girls and their kwamis started to laugh at this observation.

"I keep telling you, Tikki, _I hate Adrien!_ " Marinette said, her face as red as Tikki's body and groaning in annoyance.

Tikki just looked at her owner and shook her head as she said, "If you say so."

* * *

 **That's that for this chapter. I guess we can chalk up another act of cruelty for Dark Cupid here considering what he did to poor Nooroo. So now what's going to happen?**

 **Coming up, the girls learn an important lesson when body image and self-esteem are the theme! The girls read a survey about what type of girls schoolboys are attracted to. But then the whole idea of being slim to be attractive to boys comes to a head when classmate Ondine shows up to school _obese_ the next day! To make matters worse, it's not just Ondine, but almost every student in school except the Love Angels themselves! And why's Nooroo supposedly warning them about the whole thing and telling them what's going on?**


	7. Watch How Much You Eat!

**Keep the support coming, everyone! The more reviews, the better.**

 **In this chapter, the girls have to face the issues of body types/images and how that factors into romantic relationships when they read a survey online that says schoolboys are attracted to slim, somewhat athletic girls. And one of the perfect girls to meet the criteria is their friend Ondine!**

 **With Marinette trying to get in shape in order to attract potential suitors (though she insists that it's to stay fit so she can keep fighting akumas without much trouble), the whole situation gets turned upside down when Ondine comes into school and she's** ** _obese!_** **But it doesn't look like she's the only one; almost every student in school has put on an obscene amount of weight! The angels immediately know something's up because there are just too many kids getting fat way too quickly at the same time to be a coincidence. But why is Nooroo telling them about an akuma named Kung Food? Is he trying to lure them into a trap or is he telling the truth?  
**

 **And yes, I know that in today's day and age something like how weight factors into attractiveness might not matter, but remember: Wedding Peach and Sailor Moon were created in Japan over 20 years ago, so the opinions were probably a lot different back then. Try not to give me grief over this, okay?**

 **And I wanted to be more inclusive about this issue by letting the boys be affected by this akuma's power too. I took a visual literacy class last year, and I learned that girls aren't the only ones who have to deal with this sort of problem. Apparently, societal/media/familial pressures to conform to specific conventions and body ideals is just as bad if not worse for boys. I'm sure we can all imagine the stress and problems our poor cinnamon roll Adrien has to deal with just to make his father happy.**

 **Now, Kim is going to be making an appearance in this chapter, but I need to remind you about something: Kim and Dark Cupid _ARE NOT THE SAME PERSON IN THIS STORY!_ This is going to apply to a lot of other akumas and civilians, but I _will_ admit there will be outliers here who will have human disguises. **

**And yes, I ship Kimdine (Kim and Ondine)! Honestly, from a canon standpoint Ondine is much better for Kim instead of Chloé. As a matter of fact, I don't ship Chloé or Lila with _anyone_. Those girls don't really deserve a boyfriend after all the crap they've pulled (Lila especially; she can easily break Chloé's record of akumatizations. At this point, that Italian... Um, witch with a "b" makes Chloé look tame)**

* * *

 _"Ridiculous! Utterly ridiculous!"_ Chloé shouted as she was looking over something on her phone.

"What's going on, Chloé?" Marinette asked.

"Yes, my queen, what's troubling you?" Pollen inquired.

"It's this stupid survey!" Chloé said in anger. "It's basically polling boys about what they find most attractive about a girl! And all the criteria are so... So... _ugh_ , I can't say it!"

"What?" Marinette asked as she was working on some other sketches to design.

"It's all stupid stuff! Like hair color, skin tone and the like! Things that people really _shouldn't_ care about above all else!" Chloé ranted. "What about the stuff that _really_ matters? Like wealth?"

"Come on, Chloé, money isn't really a factor in the romance department, is it?" Alya asked with a smile. "It's the 21st century. Wealth doesn't necessarily matter in the grand scheme of things."

"Yeah, I know, but look at all these results!" Chloé said as she handed Alya the phone.

"The majority of them like girls with fairer skin, darker hair, a specific eye shape or color... A lot of them are looking for athletes, too..." Alya said as she read down the list. "And... _Ugh_ , some of these results are a little too vulgar."

"It's..." Chloé began.

 _"Ridiculous! Utterly ridiculous!"_ Adrien said in a mocking voice as he approached the girls. "Yeah, Chloé, everyone in the hallway can hear you, so no need for the pterodactyl screams."

"Adrien!" Marinette said, surprised to see him making an input on the conversation.

"Height, weight, hair color... Who cares?" Adrien said as he walked by.

"What do _you_ think, Mr. Model?" Alya asked. "You work in an industry that makes money off of beauty. What's your take on this?"

Adrien turned back and he said, "I'm agreeing with you girls. As someone who models part-time, I can say from first-hand experience that the ideal of physical beauty is pretty distorted, for both boys _and_ girls. And at the end of the day, there are a lot of things that can make a boy fall for a girl. How she looks may not be the top thing, or maybe that could be totally irrelevant."

"That's very mature of you, Adrien," Marinette said with a smile. "It's nice to see we're on the same page about this."

"Thanks," Adrien said before smirking at Marinette. "Though none of this applies to _you_ , Mariboo!"

"Excuse me?! How am I an exception to the rule?" Marinette asked.

"You're smart enough to figure it out," Adrien teased and chuckled. He then took Chloé's phone and swiped the survey out of the browser before handing it back. "You girls shouldn't read that junk. It's toxic for the mind. See you."

Marinette had to face-palm as Adrien walked away.

"He has a point." Alya said.

"About Marinette being smart enough to figure out what he means, or how we shouldn't read that survey for our sanity's sake?" Chloé asked.

"Both." Alya said.

Marinette looked down at herself. She was still feeling a bit down about the results of the survey and her stomach just looked a little chunkier in her mind.

So she said, "Well... Maybe I _have_ been eating too many treats from the bakery lately."

"Come on, Marinette," Chloé said scoffed. "It's nothing that running around and fighting akumas won't outweigh. That takes a lot out of a person as it does."

"I guess you're right..." Marinette said.

The girls heard splashing somewhere, and then they realized that they were at the entry to the school's swimming pool.

Alya looked inside the door window and she said, "Wow, looks like Kim and Ondine are really getting at it in there."

"Swimming races again?" Chloé asked. "They're going to ruin their hair."

"They're wearing swimming caps, Chloé." Marinette said.

"Let's go and check it out." Alya said as she opened the door and then the girls went inside to watch.

The too swimmers were doing laps in the pool and the girl, who was slightly muscular with tan skin, red hair and teal eyes and freckles all over her body, was out-swimming the boy. He was taller, fairly buff with olive skin and gray eyes.

After a few laps around the pool, Ondine beat Kim to the other side and then she climbed out of the pool.

"Beat you again, Kim!" She giggled.

"You sure did, Ondine," Kim said as he also climbed out of the pool and sat next to each other. "Hey, you want to play a game of "Secrets?""

He took off his swimming bracelet and showed it to Ondine.

"You know I do!" Ondine said. Kim started writing something down on a slip of paper and then he hid it in the bracelet capsule. He then threw it into the pool.

Ondine then got up on the edge of the pool and dove in again.

"Hey Kim!" Marinette said as she and her friends walked over to the boy.

"Hey, girls," Kim said as he waited for Ondine to surface. "What's going on?"

"Well, we read this survey just now about the ideal girl boys in our peer group want to date." Marinette said.

"Oh, that survey? I read it and totally think it's bogus," Kim said. "Don't you think?"

"Yeah, Adrien said the same thing." Chloé said in agreement.

"But regardless, it's common knowledge around school that you and Ondine are an item, so indulge a reporter's curiosity: what made you fall for Ondine?" Alya asked.

"It's plain as day," Kim said. "She works hard to stay in shape, and when she swims she's like a mako shark making huge bursts of speed! It's why I fell for her..."

Ondine burst out of the water with the bracelet in hand and then she swam back to the pool edge.

The girls watched, happy that Ondine and Kim were so in love with each other. It made them seem like there was no one else in the world but them.

Later after school that day, the girls were walking down the street and talking about anything that was irrelevant to akumas. As they were chatting, they caught Kim and Ondine walking home together. Kim separated from her at a small convenience café.

"See you tomorrow, Ondine," Kim said. "Can't wait for another swim race."

"Same here, Kim!" Ondine said. Kim kissed her cheek and then she walked inside her house. Kim started jogging home.

"Wow, I didn't know Ondine's family ran a café." Chloé said.

"Of course you don't; you only eat whatever comes out of the Dupain-Cheng bakery _and_ haute cuisine, Chloé," Alya said. "Anyway, Ondine must be as stubborn and hard-headed as a mule."

"What do you mean?" Marinette asked.

"The food at this place is _so damn popular,_ " Alya explained. "It gives my mom's cooking a run for her money. And the word in school is that Ondine really limits the portions of food she eats to keep in shape."

"No wonder Kim finds her attractive..." Marinette murmured.

"Come on, you heard what Kim said: he likes her because she's a hard worker and she's a disciplined athlete." Alya said to reassure Marinette.

"Speaking of discipline," Marinette said. "Maybe _I_ should be more disciplined and do my best to get back in shape."

"Don't start, Marinette," Chloé said. "You're in great shape. Are you sure you should be so worried about being attractive to guys?"

"It's not that," Marinette said, blushing a bit. "I want to stay in shape because you never know when an akuma can strike. I have to stay fit. We may have superpowers when we're transformed, but that can only go so far."

"Well..." Alya began, a sly smile coming on to her face. "If you insist on staying on top of the akuma problem, then maybe we should _all_ get on a workout program."

"Ugh, no way! I am _not_ getting all sweaty and dirty!" Chloé protested.

"You want to stop the akumas, don't you?" Marinette said.

"Yes..." Chloé said.

"Then you shouldn't be scared to get dirty over it." Alya said.

"Fine!" Chloé complained. "I'll just use the hotel gym."

"Okay." Marinette said.

"Hey, Kim!" Ondine said as she waved to her boyfriend while hanging out the window. Kim waved back with a smile and chuckled.

Out of nowhere, Dark Cupid had appeared and he said, "Aha... The love waves. Find all the people in love and dispatch them. Find anyone _capable_ of loving and eradicate them. Toroldum... Ruinism... Creature of hatred, I beseech your service!"

Dark Cupid turned around and then a small, makeshift kitchen appeared behind him.

The akuma in the kitchen was a heavy-set man whose skin was a dull purple shade. His eyes were dark red while the sclera were a sickly golden-yellow and his chin, mouth and forehead had red markings around them. His eyebrows were thick, silver, and curled on the ends and his mustache, hair and beard were a spiky blonde and it stuck upwards and all over the place. His outfit consisted of an orange gi and the sleeves were short and tattered while the collar was dark brown and there was a black belt around it. He had a white chef hat on his head and he was wearing a brown satchel that had the Mandarin character for "Kung Food" on it, and the same symbol was on the front of his uniform.

The man was working with a bowl and some ingredients in the kitchen.

"Kung Food," Dark Cupid said as he pointed at the chef akuma. "Burn the love in their hearts to a crisp!"

Kung Food put the bowl down and he gave a bow before looking up with an evil smile.

* * *

That evening at Marinette's house, she was up in her bedroom doing push-ups wearing homemade workout gear and trying her best to break a sweat.

"One, two, three, four!" Marinette said, as she kept doing push-ups. Every time she pushed herself off the floor, she clapped her hands once before pushing up again.

"Marinette, are you sure this is just about fighting off akumas?" Tikki asked. "Or do you want to prove something?"

"Tikki, don't be silly," Marinette said as she sat on the floor and started to stretch her legs before going on to abdominal crunches. "I can't think about getting a boyfriend when the future of love all around the world is at stake."

"...I'm not sure. I think that what Adrien said about you earlier is really getting to you." Tikki said.

Marinette paused and she looked at her kwami. She sighed and said, "Maybe you're right..."

There was a knock on her trap door and Tikki went to hide.

Tom opened up the door and said, "Marinette, it's dinner time."

He noticed what Marinette was doing and then he asked, "Dare I ask?"

"Oh, hey dad!" Marinette said. "Just working out, trying to get in shape."

"What for? You're already in prime condition, Marinette." Tom asked.

Marinette blushed and then she said, "Well..."

Tom looked at his daughter and said, "Listen, a woman's beauty can't be measured in weight."

"Then why'd you fall for mom?" Marinette asked.

"Um, well..." Tom said. "Your mom's heart was absolutely beautiful. Thinking that your body is the only thing that matters in attractiveness isn't healthy. Speaking of which, it isn't healthy to skip meals either, so come on down and eat."

"No thanks, dad," Marinette said as she put her hands on the door. "Not hungry."

She then shut the door and locked it to continue her workout.

Tom chuckled and said, "She'll realize the truth and stop this nonsense soon enough."

That evening at Ondine's family's café, the warehouse in the back that connected to the shop and the house above was being infiltrated. Kung Food materialized into the storage area looked at all of the food that was there. It had several types of grains, produce, etc. And there was a refrigerated area for items like eggs and milk.

He took out a flail that was made with sausages such as Andouille, yukon-gold potatoes, rainbow carrots, and lettuce. He cackled as he spun the flail around and a whirlwind was created. It had black particles of akuma energy floating around, and they were all embedding themselves into all of the food. Once the particles kept settling down, Kung Food started to laugh in triumph.

The next morning, Marinette was walking to school, enduring the nuisance noise that was her stomach growling. Skipping dinner the night before was one thing, but she was beginning to regret not eating anything that morning, either.

"Ugh... I'm starving..." Marinette quietly complained.

"I _told_ you not to skip breakfast, Marinette." Tikki gently chided.

Marinette tried to stay on her feet and focus on getting to school, but her hunger was causing her to hallucinate. All of the fixtures started turning into different types of food. She was seeing traffic lights look like chicken skewers, the cargo on trucks started to look like donuts and croissants, and she could have sworn that she saw a yellow car turn into a big, fluffy French omelette with cheese and ham. The imaginary sight of all of this food caused poor Marinette to sway around and loose her footing.

She began to topple to the ground, but she was caught by two strong arms.

"You okay?" A voice asked and Marinette's vision cleared to see Adrien was the one who caught her.

"Ugh... Adrien..." Marinette moaned, not really pleased to see him.

"I couldn't help but notice you weren't looking too good when I got out of the car, so I came here to check on you," Adrien explained as he helped Marinette stand up. "Are you feeling okay?"

"I... I _should_ be fine now, thanks." Marinette said, but then there was a loud growling noise coming from her stomach.

"You sound hungry," Adrien commented. "Didn't you get enough to eat this morning?"

Marinette blushed, not planning to answer. Her stomach growled again, this time louder.

"...Are you trying to lose weight by depriving yourself?" Adrien asked.

Marinette flinched, before thinking, _'How'd he...?! Oh yeah, he models. I guess he knows the tricks of the trade.'_

"Judging by that reaction, I'd say yes," Adrien said with a sigh. "I told you not to listen to that survey because it's unhealthy, and now look at you; you're sabotaging yourself by starving yourself of food. I've seen this happen way too many times in the modeling business."

"You would know, Adrien," Marinette bitterly said before walking to school. "You would know."

Adrien looked on in concern as he also followed Marinette to the building. But once Marinette got to the door and opened it to the yard, she saw a huge crowd gathering up, and they were all clamoring about something.

"That can't be her, can it?" "No way! She was totally different yesterday!" "Tell me I'm dreaming..."

Marinette caught sight of Alya and Chloé in the crowd and then she ran over to catch up with her friends.

"Chloé, Alya, what's going on?" Marinette asked.

"There's no way..." Alya said as she took off her glasses and rubbed her eyes.

"Look at her..." Chloé said, her jaw dropping and her eyes blown wide.

"What's the matter?" Marinette asked.

"Take a look!" Chloé said as she pointed out another student.

She was fairly overweight, almost in the obese category, with tan skin, flabby arms, freckles, red hair, and teal eyes. She was chowing down on tons of crepes and her face was covered in the different fillings. She looked very familiar.

"Whoa... Who _is_ that?" Marinette asked.

"The gossip around school is that it's Ondine." Alya said.

"What?! Ondine?!" Marinette said, surprised.

Marinette remembered what she looked like the day before compared to what she looked like in that moment. Marinette rubbed her eyes and she said, "No way. That can't be Ondine. Are you sure that's her?"

"Yes. Talk about crazy. How can anyone balloon up like that so fast?" Chloé asked.

"My question is _why_." Marinette muttered.

"Ondine!" Kim shouted as he saw his girlfriend coming in and he was appalled at how huge she was. "What are you doing, stuffing yourself like a turducken?!"

"Kim..." Ondine said, her mouth full. "I don't know what's going on. I can't seem to stop!"

"All that hard work you put in is going to go in the toilet!" Kim warned as he tried to get the crepes out of Ondine's hands.

"I can't stop!" Ondine said as she shoved Kim away and continued to chow down.

Kim looked up and he got disgusted. He turned away and he said, "Whatever. I'm leaving."

"Wait, Kim!" Ondine shouted.

"Sorry, Ondine. But the girl Ondine I love was never one to give up so easily. See you later." Kim spat as he left.

Ondine fell to her knees and began crying and eating at the same time, like the cliché scene where a woman would binge eat ice cream after getting her heart broken.

"Ondine!" Marinette shouted as she, Alya, and Chloé ran to check up on her. Like Kim, they tried in vain to get the crepes away from Ondine. "You gotta stop eating those!"

"I can't help myself and I can't stop it, either!" Ondine said.

"How'd this happen so fast?" Alya asked.

"Hell if I know," Ondine said. "I was eating breakfast, but all of a sudden I couldn't stop eating. And my body keeps getting bigger and yet I don't want to stop eating, either."

Ondine tried to stand up and she began to run after Kim.

The girls regrouped in the classroom to discuss the situation.

"What on earth happened?" Marinette asked.

"Come on, even the most self-disciplined people are capable of snapping. Ondine's restrained herself her whole life; of course she cracked and started binging on the goodies." Chloé said with a snarky tone.

"That sounds suspicious, though," Marinette said. "No matter how much you eat, no one can get _that big_ in less than twelve hours."

"Marinette's right," Alya said. "My mom's told me that one day of eating like that wouldn't kill a person or make them put on that much weight at one time."

"Whatever," Chloé said. "Metabolism is a weird thing."

Just then, another stomach growl sounded out and Alya and Chloé looked over to Marinette. She giggled weakly in response.

"Didn't eat anything this morning?" Alya teased. Marinette nodded in response.

"Yeah... I guess not eating dinner _or_ breakfast was a stupid idea," Marinette said. "I'll be eating like nuts at lunch today."

"I've got an apple you can eat," Alya said as she handed over a pink lady apple to Marinette. "Want it?"

"Yes, please!" Marinette said before taking the apple and sinking her teeth into it. She moaned in delight, satisfied to get something in her stomach.

* * *

But apparently, the sudden weight gain thing was not limited to Ondine. Break time came and went for the school, and the girls had come back from the hotel. Once they walked into the building, they saw that several girls had gotten as chunky as Ondine.

"What the hell?!" Marinette screeched as several of the girls were walking around eating several types of foods.

"The girls are turning obese!" Chloé said.

"It's not just the girls! The boys are fattening up, too!" Alya said, pointing out another boy.

It was the STEM club president and their classmate Max Kanté. He was a short, scrawny boy with dark skin, brown eyes and hair, wearing green, and had glasses. But now his waistline was about five times the size it was the day before. Some of the other boys in the school were suffering from the same issue, too. Their clothes were tearing, buttons and seams were bursting, and so much more.

"Max, are you sure you're okay?" Markov, Max's little robot friend said. "It's completely unheard of for one to gain _this_ much weight at once!"

"Affirmative, Markov," Max said as he punched into a whole wheat chicken wrap. "There must be a logical explanation for this trend of excessive calorie intake and storage."

"This is too suspicious!" Marinette said. "How can all of these students be gaining this much weight this fast all at the same time?"

"Wouldn't surprise me if it was an akuma." Alya said, crossing her arms.

"You're right. It's Kung Food's doing." A small voice said.

The girls looked around and they caught sight of a small purple creature flying towards them with a worried, timid expression on his face. It looked a lot like...

"Aha! It's Dark Cupid's slave Nooroo!" Chloé said.

At the mention of their fellow kwami's name, Tikki, Trixx, and Pollen came out of hiding.

"What kind of game are you playing with us?" Alya demanded.

"Whatever tricks you have planned, don't try! That's _my_ department." Trixx stated, ready to tangle with Nooroo if the situation called for it.

"I'm not tricking you, honest! I'm here to tell you what's happening! Why everyone got chubby out of nowhere like this." Nooroo said.

"So, what happened?" Marinette asked.

"It was Kung Food the chef akuma!" Nooroo said.

 _"Kung Food the chef akuma?"_ Tikki and Pollen asked in union.

"Yeah, and he contaminated all the food in the storage at Ondine's family's café with the essence of obesity." Nooroo informed.

"You're kidding me... "Essence of obesity?" What a joke." Chloé scoffed.

"Yeah, you've got to be lying through your teeth. What are you planning, Nooroo?" Trixx demanded.

"I'm being honest, I promise!" Nooroo said, insistent.

"No!" Alya said. "You were the one constantly doing all of the scut work for Dark Cupid. You can't expect us to trust or believe in an akuma's pet like you!"

"Hang on, what if he's telling the truth?" Marinette said.

"That's stupid, Marinette," Chloé said. "Listen, Nooroo, if you _ever_ show yourself before us again, you'll wish you never had! Now make like a banana and split!"

"My queen has made her demands quite clear! Leave us at once!" Pollen said.

"Yeah, scram!" Alya agreed. "Get out of here before we boil and eat you like a potato!"

Nooroo was about to cry, and he sniffled before saying, "Okay, I'll leave... But don't say I didn't warn you."

Nooroo then flew off in a huff. Marinette looked on before looking back to Tikki. There was just something in her gut that was telling her that Nooroo was different from past encounters.

Later that night at home, Marinette was up in her room with Tikki. The designer-in-training had a map of the city, a list of the addresses of all the people who had gotten fat, and she was pinning black tacks on the map to plot out the addresses, too. She also decided to factor in the addresses of herself, Alya, and Chloé in red. A blue tack stood for Ondine's house.

"Thought so," Marinette said as she held the map up against one of her walls. "Check it out, Tikki. All of the people who got fat at school today live close to Ondine's house."

"And that means the likelihood of them eating food from her family's café is higher than those who live further away," Tikki said. "And you, Chloé, and Alya live far enough away enough that you don't have to go there to eat."

"Everything Nooroo said was true," Marinette said as she took the tacks off the map and then rolled it up to put it away. "But why would he be so upfront with us about this? Doesn't he work for Dark Cupid?"

"Not anymore," Tikki said. "Remember the last time you saw him? Dark Cupid basically disowned Nooroo, so he's under no obligation to obey any of Dark Cupid's orders. He may still be on the side of the akumas, but he doesn't have an owner anymore so he can do what he wants."

"So even if he _is_ telling the truth, he could just betray us somewhere down the line." Marinette summarized.

"We'll worry about Nooroo later. We need to focus on stopping... Whatever's going on." Tikki said.

"You're right, let's get going!" Marinette said as she put her shoes on and made her way to the trap door.

"Are you sure it's okay to go out this late?" Tikki asked. "Your dad might notice.

"He's busy in the bakery right now. Akumas wait for no one, so neither will the Love Angels!" Marinette said as she ran downstairs and out of the house to go to Ondine's place.

Marinette found the warehouse/storage area for the café's ingredients behind Ondine's house. Marinette saw that the back door was locked. She opened her clutch and said, "Tikki."

"On it!" Tikki said as she phazed in and unlocked the door to the warehouse before coming back out.

"Nice job!" Marinette said as she opened the door and snuck in. She turned on the light and took a few seconds to let her eyes adjust to the brightness. "We'd better investigate."

Marinette started walking around the warehouse and examining all the food. Marinette found a sack of Roscoff onions and then she pulled one out of the bag.

"These _look_ like normal onions..." Marinette said, before holding it up to Tikki. "What's your take on this, Tikki?"

Tikki flew around the copper-pink bulb and then she said, "There's akuma energy in there. And not just in the onions; it's in everything."

"So Nooroo was...!" Marinette began, but then she heard someone coming. "Hide!"

Marinette dropped the onion and ducked behind one of the shelves to hide and see who was coming in. The door opened and in walked Ondine, her face down. She looked up and her face had red markings and her eyes were blank white.

"Everyone eat food, grow fatter, fatter, fatter!" Ondine said in a completely different voice. She took out the flail and spun it around, dosing all of the food in the warehouse with more akuma magic. "Once people grow fat, won't be loved anymore. Grow lonely, hate themselves!"

"Hatred is destructive enough, but _self-hatred_ is even worse!" Tikki whispered angrily.

"No pun intended, but there's a fat chance of that happening!" Marinette shouted as she stepped out of hiding.

"Who are you?!" The possessed Ondine demanded.

 _"Lucky Wedding Flower!"_ Marinette shouted as she rubbed her earrings transformed into Ladybug in her wedding dress.

Ondine tried blasting Ladybug with another shot of essence of obesity. Ladybug started jumping and bouncing off the shelves of the warehouse to try dodging the akuma magic.

"Knock it off, Ondine!" Ladybug shouted. She turned her bouquet into her yo-yo and started spinning it to create a rainbow love wave.

As Ondine was exposed to the love wave, she began groaning in agony. Her mind was filled with the memories that she and Kim shared at the school swimming pool and the pool in town. The swimming races, the games of "Secrets" that they would play together, all the hard work they put in to compete in races with other teams, etc.

"Love wave... Can't stand awful feeling! GAAAH!" Kung Food complained from inside Ondine. To escape the pain of the love wave, Kung Food left Ondine's body and materialized outside in the air.

"So, finally decided to face me?" Ladybug asked.

Dark Cupid appeared out of thin air and smirked down at Ladybug before saying, "Toroldum... Ruinism... Curse those who love with hatred and animosity! Destroy Ladybug, Kung Food! I order you!"

Kung Food put his flail away and he conjured up a giant sword made of pepperoni pizza. He started flying towards Ladybug and swinging her sword at her. Ladybug kept ducking and dodging, bouncing off the shelf walls, tumbling and rolling, etc., in order to keep herself from getting hurt by Kung Food.

Ladybug did a back spring and landed on her feet a considerable distance away while keeping her yo-yo shield up. She said, "Looks like Nooroo was shooting straight today!"

Just then, Kung Food tried to swipe at her with his sword again, only this time she ducked out of the way in time for him to hit the door and slice it in half. Ladybug ran out the door to take the fight outside. Better than causing more damage indoors.

Just as she made it outside, Kung Food managed to undercut Ladybug from her feet and she was sent tumbling to the ground.

Dark Cupid appeared out of nowhere and chuckled while saying, "Polish her off like a good meal, Kung Food."

 _"Don't you dare!"_ Rena Rouge and Queen Bee said from an adjacent rooftop. They were in their wedding dresses and staring Dark Cupid down.

The two girls jumped off the roof and landed next to Ladybug.

"Rena Rouge! Queen Bee!" Ladybug said. "How'd you two know I was here?"

"Trixx and Pollen thought that maybe Nooroo was telling the truth, so after talking about it, we decided to check it out." Rena Rouge said as she helped Ladybug stand up.

"I couldn't be happier to see you two!" Ladybug said as she and her friends shared a group high-five.

"Imbeciles! Kung Food will make you into maki and then eat you!" Dark Cupid said.

Kung Food put the sword away and took out two Tonfas that were made from sushi. He started spinning around rapidly and generating razor wings that would cut into anything. The girls jumped out of the way, the attack missing, and then they all looked at each other in the eyes.

"Ready to give them the smack-down, girls?" Ladybug said.

 _"Bridal Change! Wedding Dress Transform!" "Angel Creation Ladybug!" "Angel Illusion Rena Rouge!" "Angel Subjection Queen Bee!"_

The girls' wedding dresses turned into their battle armor and then they all held out their weapons, ready to fight back.

"Damn it... Your demise will have to wait another day. Let's go, Kung Food!" Dark Cupid said as he flew off into the air.

"Coming!" Kung Food stated as he tried to fly after his master... Only to trip on a pebble and he landed flat on his face. "Ah... Can't get up!"

The angels face-palmed at the comic event, but Queen Bee shook it off and said, "Finish him off, Ladybug!"

"On it." Ladybug said as she took out her yo-yo.

"Hold on!" Nooroo shouted as he flew in front of Kung Food and confronted the angels. "Please, don't harm Kung Food! I'm begging you!"

"Nooroo again?!" Queen Bee snapped.

" _Now_ what do you want?" Rena Rouge asked, impatient.

"Please, don't kill Kung Food!" Nooroo begged, his hands folded together in pleading.

Ladybug gave Nooroo a kind smile and she said, "Don't worry, Nooroo. I'm only going to get rid of the hate in his heart. Hurting Kung Food was never the plan."

Ladybug opened her yo-yo and started to spin it. She shouted, _"Ladybug Bridal Blast!"_

She then shot a large blast of white light love wave energy on to Kung Food. As he was exposed to the purification, his evil face turned much friendlier and happier.

Once the light faded, he stood up and turned to the angels. He gave them a smile and then he conjured up three soup bowls on a tray. The soup was purple in color with a golden swirl and had purple flowers on it.

He handed Ladybug the tray before bowing to them and saying, "Thank you. My humblest apologies for trouble."

Rena Rouge and Queen Bee were a bit hesitant, but Ladybug said, "It'd be an honor to try your soup."

Ladybug took up a bowl and spoon and then she ate a bite. She smiled and said, "Rena, Queen Bee, you've _got_ to try this!"

"Well, since nothing's happening to Ladybug, I guess it's safe," Rena Rouge said as she took her own bowl and spoon before trying some. "Come on, Queen Bee! Try some!"

"No thanks! I _hate_ soup!" Queen Bee said, but Ladybug popped a spoonful into Queen Bee's mouth regardless. After letting it linger in her mouth for a while, Queen Bee smiled. "Okay, I guess I can eat it."

Queen Bee took the last bowl and spoon and then she started eating the liquid. Once the girls finished eating, Kung Food bowed to them one last time before flying off and saying, "Next time, food will be treated with respect!"

"Bye!" Ladybug said as she watched the akuma leave into the sky.

"That was delicious!" Rena Rouge said.

"And look!" Queen Bee said as she saw Ondine's body change back to normal. "The akuma curse must be gone. Ondine's back to her old self."

"Meaning she and Kim can be together again!" Rena Rouge said.

"Case closed!" Ladybug said as the girls shared another high-five. "But for now... _Miraculous Ladybug!"_

Raising her yo-yo to the sky, a red and black wave washed over the area and all of the damage to the building and the concrete was repaired.

"Alright, now let's head home." Ladybug said as she put her yo-yo away. The girls made to leave, but a quiet voice interrupted them.

"Um... Excuse me..." Nooroo said as he tentatively approached the Love Angels. "I was... I was hoping that... Maybe I could join you and become your ally?"

 _"Our ally?"_ The girls asked, surprised.

"Hell no," Queen Bee said, crossing her arms. "You were telling us the truth today, I'll give you that much, but why should we trust an akuma? Especially you _and_ after all the crap you've pulled in the past?"

"Queen Bee's right," Rena Rouge said, hands on her hips. "This whole thing today could just be another plot to give the akumas the upper hand. You could be a mole for all we know!"

Nooroo's face and wings fell as he sadly said, "...I don't blame you for not trusting me. And I can't help it either."

Ladybug watched with a sad expression on her face as Nooroo went and sat on a nearby bike rack.

"After all... I possessed people and I forced them to do terrible things to each other." Nooroo said, his back turned to the girls.

The angels looked at each other and continued to listen.

"I kept messing things up for Dark Cupid no matter what I tried... And then... Then..." Nooroo began, before tearing up and beginning to cry. "Then I was exiled from the akuma realm forever!"

The angels watched Nooroo sadly, Ladybug especially. While Rena Rouge and Queen Bee were unsure if Nooroo was acting or not, Ladybug seemed to be more empathetic towards him.

"Now I don't have anywhere to go! I'm basically a homeless kwami!" Nooroo cried as tears fell down his face.

Ladybug stepped closer to him as he turned around and flew closer to the leader, saying, "But now I get it! For the first time in my eternity, I've learned what the love wave that you, Ladybug, radiate, is about! That's why... I want to help..."

Ladybug smiled and picked Nooroo up in her hands. She brought him closer. Nooroo wiped away his tears and he looked at Ladybug with a smile before saying, "Ladybug..."

"It's okay now..." Ladybug softly said. Nooroo smiled at this gesture. "It's going to be okay, Nooroo. Don't worry."

Nooroo leaped on to Ladybug's cheek and started weeping happily, saying, "Ladybug!"

Ladybug held the little kwami close to her face and she let him cry his little heart out. Queen Bee and Rena Rouge merely stood by and watched, unsure how to handle the situation.

The next day at school, everything and everyone was back to normal. Everything seemed like a bad dream to them.

"I can't believe this," Ondine said as she examined herself in one of the bathroom mirrors. "My body was completely off yesterday, but now it's like nothing's changed... Wow, this is weird."

Ondine gave a shrug as she left the bathroom.

"Ondine!" Kim shouted as he ran up to her, delighted to see she was okay.

"Kim!" Ondine squealed in delight as she leaped into his open, welcoming arms.

"It's so cool that you're okay and you're back to normal! Let's keep up the good work, okay?" Kim said.

"Okay!" Ondine said as the pair snuggled together.

Some ways away in the hallways, Marinette and company were watching the entire exchange.

"That's great! They're together again... But are you sure it's fine like this?" Marinette asked.

"What do you mean?" Alya asked.

"Well, if Ondine hadn't gone back to normal, would Kim have ditched her for good?" Marinette asked.

"No way," Alya said. "In this day and age, something like that wouldn't get in the way. You heard what Kim said: he fell for her because of how hard she works, not because of her body type."

Marinette then remembered what Adrien had said the other day:

 _"And at the end of the day, there are a lot of things that can make a boy fall for a girl. How she looks may not be the top thing, or maybe that could be totally irrelevant."_

Marinette giggled as she realized that Adrien was right.

"So, shall we forget about that stupid survey and stay true to ourselves?" Chloé asked.

"Let's." Alya agreed. The girls shared another group high-five and they all began to laugh with delight and newfound confidence.

* * *

 **And that's a wrap! Again, sorry if this chapter seems a bit strange considering the topic and how well it was handled, but again, this anime was created in the 90's and this is 2018 - times change, and so do attitudes.**

 **Coming up, everyone seems to be falling asleep and not waking back up again. Unsurprisingly, it's the work of the akumas. This time, Sandboy! And as if that weren't bad enough, he manages to put _Marinette_ to sleep! Can she wake up in time?!**


	8. Sandboy and Sleeping Beauty

**Happy New Year, everybody! It's my first update of 2019!**

 **Today on "Wedding Ladybug," several of the girls' peers are falling into an endless sleep with no signs of waking up no matter what happens! While investigating the matter, the akuma responsible, Sandboy, manages to put** ** _Marinette_** **to sleep! How will the girls and the kwamis get Marinette out of Sandboy's sleeping spell** ** _and_** **stop the akuma from putting everyone else to sleep?!  
**

 **And I know that Sandboy's power is to materialize peoples' nightmares, but just go with me on this one, okay? And keep the support coming! The more reviews, the better!**

* * *

The school bell rang, and Chloé was talking with some of the other girls in class. But for some reason, one of the seats in the classroom was empty, and it was not Marinette's seat for once.

"Absent again?" Chloé asked. "How many times has that been this week?"

"Only the second day in a row," A girl with long, black hair with purple tips said. "Rose is usually so vibrant. She would never miss school unless something serious was happening."

"Maybe she came down with something?" Chloé suggested. "It _is_ flu season, Juleka."

"Well, she would have told me if she had gotten sick." Juleka replied.

Chloé reported her findings to the girls in the club and then Marinette said, "Rose Lavillant? Our classmate?"

"Right, she's in the scrapbooking club." Chloé said.

"Oh yeah, she and Juleka are tight," Alya said. "She's usually a bundle of energy and sweetness. It's not like her to just cut class or whatever."

"You're right about that, Alya. It must be important if she isn't in school," Marinette commented. "Maybe we should pay her house a visit later today to check up on her?"

"Good idea. That way we can report back to Juleka and hopefully reassure her." Alya said.

"I'm in." Chloé said with a nod.

After school that day, the trio went over to the Lavillant house and they met up with Rose's mother, who had answered the door.

"Oh girls, thank you so much for coming out here." Rose's mother said as she led the girls inside and started to bring them to Rose's room.

"How's Rose?" Marinette asked. "Juleka's been worried about her."

"Well, she's asleep," Rose's mother explained. "She's been sleeping all day and hasn't shown a single sign of waking up."

"Say what?" Alya asked as Rose's mother opened the door to Rose's bedroom. Once they got inside it was glowing in pink.

Right in her queen bed was a girl with short blonde hair, sleeping like nothing was going on.

"She hasn't woken up once? Not even to use the bathroom or anything?" Marinette asked.

"That's right. For the past two days she's been sleeping and nothing we've tried has roused her." Rose's mother said.

"What about medical help?" Alya asked.

"The doctor made a house call and she said that she's flummoxed. She can't figure out what put her in this state to begin with, and unless Rose shows any changes, nothing can be done to wake her up." Rose's mother sad sadly.

The girls looked her over and Rose was still sleeping like a log. Nothing seemed to be disturbing her.

"I'll bring you some snacks and drinks." Rose's mother said as she left the bedroom.

"Don't bother if it's too much trouble," Chloé said before turning back to Rose. "Have either of you ever heard of this?"

"Not me. I've never heard of someone sleeping all day every day without waking up once, not even for the bathroom," Marinette said. "Maybe they haven't tried hard enough to wake her up?"

"Maybe you're right, Marinette. I've got experience at waking people up, so I'll take this one," Alya said before approaching the bed. She cupped her hands around her mouth. _"HEY! IT'S LATE AFTERNOON, ROSE! UP AND AT EM, GIRL! YOU'VE MISSED TWO DAYS OF SCHOOL!"_

Running out of air, Alya started catching her breath by gasping for air. Rose was still sleeping like a log.

"Nice effort, Alya, but I don't think that's going to work," Trixx said. "And how do we know they haven't already tried that?"

"Good point, Trixx." Alya said.

"So what else can we try?" Tikki asked.

"How about setting up as many alarms as possible?" Marinette suggested.

"Good thinking!" Chloé said.

The girls gathered up all of the alarm clocks in the house and turned up the volume on their phones to maximum. All of the phones and the clocks were set for the same time so they would all go off simultaneously.

Marinette put in some earplugs and then the girls waited. Tikki had ducked into Marinette's clutch and covered her ears.

All at once, the alarms started ringing as loud as possible. The girls were screaming in response to the noise and all of the clocks and phones and it was beginning to shake the room. It took about thirty seconds before all of the noise became unbearable enough that they had to shut the alarms off to get the noise to stop.

Once the racket ceased, they looked at Rose. Nothing. She was still dead to the world.

"That was no help either..." Marinette muttered as she took out her earplugs. She shook her head.

She turned to her friends, who were dizzy and trying to reorient themselves after being exposed to such a loud noise. Their ears were ringing, and the kwamis were lying on their owners' heads, also trying to recover from the cacophony.

"That was _not funny_..." Chloé muttered as Pollen was shaking her head to shake off the headache.

"That could have woken up the entire house! How is she _still_ out like a light?" Alya complained in askance. Trixx's eyes were spirals and she was moaning.

"I've got no clue, but something strange is _definitely_ happening." Nooroo said as he fell out of Marinette's backpack, dizzy.

"Nooroo, what were you doing in there?" Marinette asked, not remembering having Nooroo in her backpack when she left the house that morning.

Nooroo flew up and said, "Like I said before, I'm basically homeless, so I snuck into your backpack before you left for school today."

"Okay, can you and Tikki figure out what's going on?" Marinette asked. Pollen and Trixx were still too dizzy to help, so she had to leave it to Tikki and Nooroo.

Nooroo and Tikki flew around the bedridden Rose and then Nooroo said, "I'm feeling it..."

"So am I..." Tikki muttered.

"Feeling _what?_ " Marinette asked, hoping for answers.

"That's the thing... I'm not sure _what_ we're feeling." Nooroo said.

"This is madness," Alya said. "What the hell is going on here?"

That evening under the crescent moon, Dark Cupid was standing on a street lamp. He said, "Find all people who are in love and dispatch them. Find anyone _capable_ of loving, and eradicate them. So long as love exists, those of us with hearts filled with animosity and hate will never know any peace."

Dark Cupid then addressed someone in the shadow and said, "I know how your power works. You can send people into a perpetual slumber and rob them of their love waves, guaranteeing that they will never wake up. So, my orders are for you to send all humans into an endless sleep and take all of the love waves in this world away!"

Out of the shadow, a young boy emerged. He had blue skin with white spots, purple eyes with yellow eyebrows, and his hair was in an up-do and it looked like octopus tentacles because there were spots on it, too. He was wearing a dark purple body suit that had a thicker collar with pale yellow lining. He was riding on a dark purple pillow.

He rose up on his pillow and then he started flying over the city rooftops. Rainbow-colored sand started falling down onto the city.

The next day at school, the girls were out in the hallways and were talking about the whole sleeping situation. Rose was still asleep and some of the others in school falling victim to this "epidemic," too.

Alya had gotten a phone call from Nora and she sounded worried.

"What? The twins are at home today? ...Okay, got it. Thanks," Alya said as she hung up her phone. "Ella and Etta haven't woken up and nothing they've tried has worked, just like with Rose."

"Really?" Marinette asked.

"Yeah." Alya confirmed.

"And I haven't babysat Manon lately. Mrs. Chamack told me that Manon hasn't woken up from _her_ sleep, either. Apparently the day before it happened, there was a birthday party at her school for one of her classmates." Marinette said.

"This is weird," Chloé said. "Not only that, but gossip around school is that Rose fell into her unending sleep a few days after Juleka gave her a gift."

"So everyone's in a happy mood the time prior to that, but emotions can't really cause something like this... At least, not normally." Alya said.

"This whole thing's very suspicious to me." Nooroo said as he flew out of Marinette's clutch. It was his hiding spot that he shared with Tikki.

Tikki poked her head out of hiding, too. Trixx and Pollen came out of hiding to listen to Nooroo's concerns.

"What's suspicious to you, noble kwami of transmission?" Pollen asked.

"Well, I've got this horrible feeling in my stomach," Nooroo said. "If my hunch is right, then this might have the akumas written all over it."

"Someone's coming, hide!" Trixx shouted and all the kwamis retreated into their hiding spots.

The girls decided to just talk about nothing in particular as Adrien started making his way in their direction.

"Oh yeah, those shades are so wrong for her," Chloé said. "If she wants her eyes to pop out, she _should_ have gone with a more autumn palette. That purple eyeshadow looked _neon_ on her! Talk about a cosmetology _disaster!_ "

"Yeah, that particular color scheme didn't really work..." Marinette said.

"And she had so much foundation on that it was like looking at a bronze statue. Can't help but stare." Alya commented.

The girls shuddered.

"Whoever you're talking about, at least try to understand she made an effort to make herself look good," Adrien said as he stopped in front of the girls. "And has it occurred to you that maybe all that staring would make this person uncomfortable? Especially _your_ staring, Mariboo?"

Marinette scowled at Adrien and muttered, "You little...!"

Adrien chuckled and then walked away from the girls while having a smile on his face.

"Adrien, you pest! And I keep telling you to stop calling me "Mariboo!" I hate that name as much as I hate _you!_ " Marinette shouted back.

Unknown to her, the akuma from the night before was hiding up near the ceiling and he was watching the girls with interest.

Later in the library, the girls and kwamis decided to do a little research on this whole sleeping epidemic that was going on.

"It's just too weird for everyone to be falling and staying asleep for days on end like that." Alya said.

"Maybe there's some books here about sleep we can look at to see if we can pinpoint a cause." Marinette said as she took out a book about sleeping and sleep-related disorders.

"Books really aren't my scene," Chloé said. "Why bother reading when you can look it up on your phone?"

"Because not all online sources are credible, Chloé. Why do you think the school limits our research on online sources?" Alya said as she took out a book on sleeping.

"Split up around the library and we'll meet up with our findings later on, okay?" Marinette said.

The girls nodded and then they spread out across the library to get some privacy. Marinette sat by a window and she opened up her book. Since no one was around, Tikki was out in the open and helping her read along.

"Sleeping needs vary on a case-by-case basis according to this," Marinette said. "But there's also something about everyone having chronic sleep deprivation due to people's working lives."

"That explains why people sleep in when they have a chance." Tikki said.

Speaking of sleeping, Marinette yawned from fatigue.

"You okay?" Tikki asked.

"Yeah... I don't know why, but every time I eat lunch, I get sleepy..." Marinette said, rubbing her eyes.

"It's the excess calorie intake, Marinette," Tikki said, before noticing something out of the corner of her eye. "Look at that..."

She noticed the akuma from last night sitting on a shelf, lying around as if it were a discarded toy. Marinette stood up and approached the boy, thinking it was merely a puppet or toy or something.

"This thing is pretty strange," Marinette said as she and Tikki looked it over. "I wonder what this is? And who left it here?"

"I don't know..." Tikki said.

Just then, he opened his eyes and stood up on his pillow. Marinette squeaked a bit and then she stumbled back a few steps. Tikki, realizing the danger, flew out of the way as the boy flew over Marinette on his pillow and sprinkled his rainbow-colored sand over her.

Marinette's eyes drooped with fatigue and she tried to stay awake.

She stumbled around, holding back yawns, and trying to hold herself up by keeping a hand on the table.

"Marinette! Please, don't fall asleep!" Tikki shouted as she tried to get her owner to stay awake. But it was futile as Marinette wound up falling back in her seat, her face planted on the table, and she knocked over some of the books. "No! Marinette!"

Hearing the shout, Alya, Chloé, and the other kwamis looked in Tikki's direction and saw Marinette sound asleep, Tikki worried and trying to get Marinette to wake up, and they just caught the blue-colored boy flying out the window.

"Hey! I recognize him!" Nooroo said.

"What or who was that?" Chloé asked.

"I'd know that face anywhere: that was the akuma called Sandboy." Nooroo said.

"Sandboy?" Alya asked.

"Yeah. He's capable of putting people to an eternal sleep with a dusting of his sand. And when they're sleeping, they have the best dreams ever, but in truth, those dreams are extremely hazardous!" Nooroo explained.

"Then everyone falling asleep and not waking up again is because of Sandboy?!" Trixx asked.

"I'm certain of it!" Nooroo said.

"Then that means...!" Chloé began, frightened.

" _Mon dieu!_ Duchess Marinette!" Pollen exclaimed as the group ran over to Marinette and Tikki.

Alya kept trying to shake Marinette and wake her up, with Chloé snapping her fingers in front of Marinette's face and saying, "Marinette! Marinette! Up and at em!"

Trixx and Pollen were tangling themselves in Marinette's pigtails, hoping the pain of getting her hair pulled would wake her up.

"Wake up, Marinette! This isn't nap time!" Alya shouted, trying to get Marinette to wake up. "You've gotta get up!"

But neither angel nor kwami could wake Marinette up. She was still sleeping on the desk, a smile on her face. Tikki sat next to her owner, worried about her.

"This is a disaster! Marinette's asleep at the hands of Sandboy!" Chloé near-screamed.

"Marinette's dreaming now," Nooroo said. "Like I said, whoever Sandboy puts to sleep will have the most amazing dreams..."

 _In Marinette's dream, she was standing in a beautiful flower garden filled with geraniums in a variety of colors, butterfly weed, and white cosmos. It went as far as her eye could see. She was also surrounded by ladybugs in the garden. Tikki was there, too._

 _"Wow! I don't think I've seen a garden this beautiful! I wonder how I can incorporate this into a design..." Marinette said aloud._

 _Out of nowhere, a sketchpad, ruler, and deluxe colored pencil set from Gabriel popped into her hands, and Marinette grinned with delight._

 _"Wow! This is impressive." Tikki said, and Marinette hugged the set close to her chest._

 _"I know! This is incredible!" Marinette said. She had wanted this kit for such a long time, but it was too expensive for her, and she was not going to ask Chloé to get it for her no matter what._

 _She sat down in the flowers while Tikki sat on her shoulder, and Marinette started sketching a few dresses and skirts. Every time she put her signature in the design to complete it, a finished piece on a mannequin appeared in front of her._

 _"Ah! This is just how I pictured it in my mind!" Marinette said as she stood up and examined her finished pieces. She was having so much fun in this garden with all of her dream designs coming true._

 _"This is amazing! Every design you make is coming to life!" Tikki said in delight._

 _"Marinette!" A voice shouted in the distance, and Marinette looked in the direction of it._

 _Marinette's eyes widened when she saw who it was. Right there in a clearing with more flowers around was a small, Chinese woman wearing a cream-colored outfit, silver eyes, and short black hair. Marinette knew that face anywhere: it was her deceased mother, Sabine._

 _"Marinette! Over here!" Sabine said, waving her daughter over to her._

 _"Mom...?" Marinette asked, shocked to see her mother again._

 _"That's your mom? Wow, the pictures in your house don't do her justice, Marinette." Tikki said to her owner._

 _Marinette started crying tears of joy. With Tikki following her, Marinette started running to her mom, a smile on her face and tears streaming down her cheeks._

 _"Mom! Mom, I'm coming! Mom!" Marinette shouted._

Back in the real world, Alya, Chloé, and the kwamis had managed to get Marinette back to the nurse's office and put her to bed. They were sitting bedside to keep and eye on her.

"Nooroo, you said that the dreams are both amazing and hazardous. Care to elaborate on that?" Alya asked.

"The person who's asleep is having a very sweet, happy dream, and it could be about whatever brings them the most joy. But the problem is that the further they go into the dream, the deeper the sleep they're drawn into. And at some point, they'll never be able to get out of it." Nooroo explained.

"And then what happens?" Chloé asked.

"As they're dreaming, their love wave _and_ their strength is completely sucked away." Nooroo stated.

 _"WHAT?!"_ The girls and kwamis shouted in fright.

 _Marinette had begun enjoying herself with her mother, designing clothes for her, picking flowers with her, and so much more. Marinette had sketched out a navy blue cheongsam with golden trim for her mother and it materialized on her body._

 _"This is so much fun!" Marinette said as she continued to sketch. But then she felt a bunch of flowers fall onto her chest. She looked down and saw a flower chain necklace._

 _She looked up at her mother and Tikki._

 _"Thank you so much, mom!" Marinette said as she took the flowers up and breathed in their perfume._

 _"It looks great on you, dear!" Sabine said._

 _"I... I'm so happy that I'm here with you again, mom. I've missed you so much..." Marinette said as she hugged her mother and started crying into her chest._

 _"MARINETTE!"_ Alya shouted as she started shaking Marinette's shoulders again. "Please, you've got to wake up and stop dreaming that dream!"

"It's too dangerous, Marinette!" Chloé shouted, still snapping her fingers in front of Marinette's face.

"It's pointless," Nooroo said. "There's no waking her up once Sandboy's magic sets in."

"Isn't there something that we can do?" Tikki asked.

"Come on, Nooroo! There has to be something!" Chloé shouted as she snatched up the purple kwami and started squeezing him. "There _has_ to be! _THERE HAS TO BE!_ Isn't that _right_ , Nooroo?!"

"Chloé, stop!" Alya said as she smacked Chloé's hands and dislodged Nooroo.

"What's with the violence, Chloé?" Nooroo asked, catching his breath.

"Sorry, sorry!" Chloé sheepishly said. "But is there anything that can be done?"

"Well, there's only one way out of Sandboy's spell." Nooroo said.

"And what would that be?!" Alya asked, urging Nooroo to come out with it.

"A kiss from someone she loves." Nooroo said simply.

The girls blushed and Chloé said, "A... Kiss from someone she loves?"

"That's right. She'll wake right up if she gets kissed." Nooroo said.

Alya turned to Chloé and said, "Okay... A kiss from someone she loves, huh?"

"Yeah, it has to be someone who's like royalty to her in a romantic sense. Otherwise she'll stay asleep like this." Nooroo said.

Alya crossed her arms while Trixx asked her owner, "Do you know any boys that Marinette has her eye on?"

"No one that I know of," Alya said. "What about you, Chloé?"

"I'm clueless as you are!" Chloé said, face-palming in annoyance.

"There's no time for this, you two!" Tikki said. "Nooroo said it himself: as we're talking at this moment, Marinette's getting deeper into sleep, and if we don't act and get that kiss for her, she'll never wake up!"

"Then we'd better stop speculating and start kiss hunting! Come on, Chloé!" Alya said as she and Chloé ran out of the nurse's office with their kwamis in tow. Nooroo and Tikki were left behind to keep an eye on Marinette.

"What are we supposed to do? Wait for one of the boys in school to stumble upon Marinette and just randomly kiss her awake?!" Chloé asked.

"IKR, Chloé. "We have to get a boy who's like a prince to Marinette to kiss her." What is this, Sleeping Beauty?!" Alya asked, also frustrated.

"This isn't some fairytale where things like this just happen without anyone finding it uncomfortable," Chloé said. "It'd be one thing if we were still in elementary school, but we're high-schoolers now. We can't just walk up to a guy and say, "Hey, our friend Marinette is in an eternal sleep at the hands of an akuma and we need you to kiss her to get her to wake up so we can fight the akuma off." As if _that_ would be met without any problems."

"Speaking of problems, look alive, Chloé!" Alya said as she pointed something out. Or rather, _someone_. Up above the school building, Sandboy was floating on his pillow and looking around for people to put to sleep. He saw the teacher's lounge and he dove in through the window.

"Crap, Sandboy!" Chloé said.

"This isn't good, Chloé," Alya said. "He's going to put the whole school to sleep if we don't stop him! Come on!"

The girls dashed after the akuma, ready to fight for everyone to wake up.

Back with Marinette, she was still dreaming, completely still in the bed.

 _Marinette was walking arm-in-arm with her mother, who was leading her somewhere. Since it was her mom, Marinette paid the situation no mind. She was just so happy to be with her mother again that anything about safety was the furthest thing from her mind._

 _"Mom, where are we going?!" Marinette excitedly asked._

 _"Oh, we're going somewhere very special!" Sabine said. "See? It's right across the bridge up ahead!"_

 _Marinette looked forward and saw that there was a large stone bridge that went over a large ravine and there was a larger flower garden on the other side._

 _"Come on, mom! Let's go!" Marinette said as she started to run to the bridge. Sabine giggled and followed after her daughter._

Out in the world of the awake, Nooroo and Tikki were getting worried. Chloé and Alya were certainly taking their time...

"Damn it! What on earth could be keeping Chloé and Alya?!" Nooroo said.

"This is bad! Marinette's power is getting weaker and it will be gone forever in a matter of minutes!" Tikki screamed in fear.

"Hello? Nurse?" A voice shouted and Tikki and Nooroo hid under the bed.

In came Adrien, who had rolled up his sleeves of his fencing uniform. He had a scratch on his arm from falling.

"That's strange... It's empty in here," Adrien said before going to find the first-aid kit. "I guess I'd better do it on my own this time."

"It's that Adrien fellow, isn't it?" Nooroo asked, remembering him from when he possessed the boy that one time.

"Yeah, that's him." Tikki whispered.

"Okay, there we go." Adrien said as he put some cream and a bandage on his scratch. He turned around and saw Marinette on the bed, completely asleep.

"Huh? Mariboo, what's the problem? Are you feverish or something?" Adrien said as he put the back of his hand on Marinette's forehead. There was no heat coming off from her forehead. "I hope she's okay and doesn't need help..."

Sensing the concern in him, Tikki turned to Nooroo and quietly asked, "Are you thinking what I'm thinking?"

"Yeah: we should see if it'll work with Adrien." Nooroo said.

 _Marinette and her mom had approached the bridge, but upon closer inspection, it seemed unstable. Part of it was crumbling from underneath._

 _"Marinette, shall we cross the bridge?" Sabine asked._

 _"Are you sure, Sabine? That bridge doesn't look too safe." Tikki asked, pointing out the questionable state of the bridge._

 _"Tikki's right." Marinette said, also noticing the bridge's crumbling pieces._

 _"It's fine. And look over there." Sabine said as she pointed out someone else across the bridge. It seemed to be the silhouette of a boy Marinette's age, and he seemed to be waving at her._

 _"Wait... Who is that? I can't tell." Marinette said._

 _"It's your destined love! He's waiting for you on the other side of the bridge." Sabine said._

 _"Really?! Then let's go over there and meet him!" Marinette said as she started to run across the bridge with Tikki in tow._

 _Behind her, Sabine stayed. She lifted her face and her eyes were completely white and blank while there were red markings on her face._

"I'd better go and find someone to check her out." Adrien said as he made to leave.

The two kwamis nodded, ready to get a kiss on.

Out from their hiding spot, Tikki and Nooroo pulled behind the knees of Adrien's pants. In slow-motion, he started to fall backwards but he moved himself around...

 _"I'm on my way!" Marinette said as she continued to chase after her "supposed" soulmate. However, one misstep and the bridge collapsed underneath her. She began screaming in fright as Tikki flew down after her owner._

 _The mysterious boy grabbed Marinette by the wrist and began to pull her up to safety._

Adrien kept falling...

 _The boy pulled Marinette up to the other side of the bridge on solid ground, and gently pulled her close for a kiss._

Adrien wound up falling on top of Marinette and his lips landed on hers.

 _The entire dream disappeared in a flutter of white butterflies, and Marinette was left all alone with Tikki._

"AAH!" Adrien screamed as he scrambled to stand back up, his face as red as Marinette's suit and his hand over his mouth.

Marinette stirred and she slowly opened her eyes.

"I... Sorry!" Adrien said before dashing out of the nurse's office. He was _so embarrassed_ that he had kissed Marinette.

"Ugh... What just happened to me...?" Marinette murmured as she sat up in the bed and rubbed her eyes. "That was a strange dream... But I had a nice nap."

"Perfect! You're awake!" Tikki said as she cuddled up against Marinette's cheek.

"Thank the angels, Marinette!" Nooroo said.

"Nooroo, Tikki, what are you two talking about?" Marinette asked.

"Oh, um, nothing..." Nooroo muttered as he blushed and started rubbing his head, embarrassed.

"Anyway, now that you're awake, we've got work to do!" Tikki said, and hearing this, Marinette swung her legs out of the bed and stood up. "Sandboy's on the loose and we gotta stop him."

"Then let's stop messing around and get going." Marinette said as she dashed out of the nurse's office.

Alya and Chloé were following the path of the sleeping victims of Sandboy, and people were falling asleep and dropping to the ground like bees in a hive that had been smoked.

Speaking of Sandboy, the aforementioned akuma had caught two other random students and started to sprinkle them with his sand.

He said, "The Sandboy just checked in. Now sweet dreams can begin! And you'll be able to experience them ... _Forever_."

The two students' eyes were completely blank. Their pupils and highlights disappeared, and they looked like zombies basically.

"Hold it!" Alya shouted as she and Chloé had ran in and found Sandboy. "Sorry, Sandboy, but no one's sleepy right now!"

"Yeah, we're crashing this utterly ridiculous sleepover of yours!" Chloé said.

"How about a nice nap for the two of you?" Sandboy asked with a smirk.

"No way!" Alya said before turning to Chloé and smiling in determination.

 _"Cunning Wedding Flower!" "Growing Wedding Flower!"_

The girls changed into their wedding dresses and stood ready to fight.

"Take a look here. The wicked and vile Love Angels are here to destroy your friends! Shall we take them down?" Sandboy asked before snapping his fingers.

The two students turned around to face Rena Rouge and Queen Bee, with red marks on their faces and blank white eyes. They lunged at the angels with intent to attack, but the girls jumped out of the way.

 _"Bridal Change! Wedding Dress Transform!" "Angel Illusion Rena Rouge!" "Angel Subjection Queen Bee!"_

The dresses changed into the suits and the girls held their weapons out.

Sandboy pointed at the girls and said, "Get them!"

The boy managed to lift up a chair and started swinging it around while running at them.

"Um... Isn't the chair just a _bit_ melodramatic?" Queen Bee asked as the two of them stepped back.

The boy lunged at Rena Rouge and Queen Bee, but the vixen angel blocked the chair with her flute while Queen Bee had ducked behind with her top ready.

"Are you really going to hurt these innocent peers of yours?" Sandboy mockingly asked.

"Rena, what'll we do?" Queen Bee asked.

"These students aren't the enemy, but we still need to fight!" Rena Rouge said as she pushed the girl back with her flute.

As Rena Rouge and Queen Bee were ready to attack, the door behind them opened.

To everyone's surprise, Marinette was there. Tikki and Nooroo were with her, too.

"What?! You!" Sandboy said, surprised that someone he put to sleep had woken up.

"Marinette? You're awake!" Rena Rouge said.

"Ready for the day," Marinette said with a thumb's up. "Now to take care of this akuma."

"Sandboy at 11 o'clock!" Nooroo said, pointing the akuma out.

"Right! _Lucky Wedding Flower!"_ Marinette said as she transformed into Ladybug. _"Bridal Change! Wedding Dress Transform! Angel Creation Ladybug!"_

Ladybug switched her wedding dress out for her suit, and she stood ready with her yo-yo.

"W-W-Hey! You're that Love Angel Ladybug!" Sandboy said as he flew back on his pillow to make distance.

Ladybug smiled and she started readying an attack.

 _"Ladybug Bridal Blast!"_ Ladybug shouted as she generated a white blast from her yo-yo shield.

She fired at Sandboy, landed a direct hit, and Sandboy's expression turned from harsh and mean to soft and very friendly. He smiled, shook his head and he turned to the angels.

"Thank you! Have sweet dreams, you three!" Sandboy said as he flew out the window and into the sky.

"Great job, Ladybug! You cleansed all that hate out of his heart and now he won't do anything wrong anymore. Best of all, everyone will wake up without any problem." Nooroo said.

"That's good." Ladybug said as she turned to her team and they did a three-way fist bump.

Several students and teachers started to slowly wake up, and they were all questioning what had happened while they were asleep.

Later on, the girls had gone back into their club room to work more on the blog.

"I'm glad Duchess Marinette woke up on her own." Pollen said.

"Yeah, but Nooroo, didn't you say someone has to kiss Marinette in order to wake her up?" Trixx asked.

"That's right, Trixx." Nooroo confirmed.

"But if that's the case, then..." Alya began, standing up in surprise.

"Then who was the one who kissed Marinette?!" Chloé asked.

"Well, wouldn't you like to know?" Nooroo teased, with Tikki giggling. "Sorry, I don't kiss and tell."

 _"SPILL!"_ Alya shouted, grabbing Nooroo and squeezing him in her hands. "Who the hell kissed Marinette?!"

"I can't breathe!" Nooroo choked as he blubbered for air.

"If you don't tell, we'll get it out of you another way!" Chloé said, angrily.

Marinette had finished cropping and modifying some photos, blissfully unaware that she had been kissed by Adrien in her sleep. Tikki zipped over to her owner and sat down.

"Well, Tikki, one more akuma cleansed, one more step to ending the akuma-angel war," Marinette said as she had her kwami sit in her hand. "But still... The Miraculous Something Four... What are they?"

* * *

 **Okay! That's that for this chapter! I hope you guys liked it! Remember: the more comments, the better! I was only able to pull myself out of my "deleting this story" funk thanks to all of the extra encouragement. Keep the reviews and comments coming if you want more.**

 **Now, a note for everyone: yes, I know that the power that Marinette was using in the dream is almost identical to that of the Evillustrator, but I seriously didn't realize that until after I wrote this down. Speaking of the Evillustrator, yes, he'll have some chapters in the story. When? You'll just have to wait and see.**

 **And here's something else: Pollen will be referring to Alya and Marinette as "my duchesses," "Duchess Alya," "Duchess Marinette," and the like because in terms of European nobility, that's just a rank below a king or queen (granted the lines between these rankings is a bit sketchy). And Pollen refers Chloé as "my queen" since Chloé is her owner.**

 **Coming up, the girls learn about the importance of the Miraculous Something Four are and the history behind the items, meanwhile a celebrity wedding hits the news. But for some reason the bride winds up acting lazy and tired, and then demonic! Not to mention that this akuma attack is causing the angels to get lazy and unmotivated to fight back, too.**


	9. Pilfered Something Four!

**Today on "Wedding Ladybug," the girls** ** _finally_** **start to learn about the Miraculous Something Four and their history. And just in time, too: pop singer Clara Nightingale is getting married to fellow musician Ross Finch, but the latest akuma causes her to become unmotivated and lazy. And to make matters worse, this akuma manages to snag the Something Four off the bride! How can the Love Angels get the items back if they can't get the motivation to do it?  
**

 **And yes, Ross Finch is my pun on Ross Lynch, and I know that in the real world, Laura Marano and Ross Lynch are only friends, but that doesn't stop fans from pairing them together. I mean, their characters in "Austin & Ally" wound up canon, so... Speaking of which, there will be a pun on that show mentioned in this chapter, too. **

**I was actually planning on skipping this episode since I couldn't really find an akuma fitting enough to play the part. So, please work with me on this and _please_ give me more than two reviews per chapter, guys? **

* * *

It was a weekend and the girls had called a meeting to talk about the Love Angel situation and make a plan on how to stop the onslaught of akuma attacks. There were too many questions and not enough answers, especially regarding how they tied in to all of it.

They knew they needed to talk about it in a place where nobody would eavesdrop on them. Marinette's room was right above the rest of the house, so Tom could overhear them without any problem. And there'd be too many people coming and going near Chloé's room at the hotel, so that was also a bad idea. So they settled on Alya's place. Since her entire family would be out for the day, Alya would be alone, so that made privacy a non-issue.

Alya had prepared the apartment for the meeting, and Trixx helped her pick out the snacks for them girls and the kwamis - Alya was surprised by the fact that kwamis need to eat, too.

The doorbell rang, and Trixx said, "They're here!"

Alya ran to the door and opened it. Sure enough, Marinette and Chloé were standing there, Pollen, Nooroo, and Tikki out in the open.

"Hey, Alya, sorry we're late." Marinette said.

"No, you're just in time, come on in," Alya said as she let her gal-pals in and they were sitting in the common area. "Okay, first thing's first: why _us three?_ Why was it that _we_ were transformed into Love Angels? I think that's the key question here. I would've picked up some hints about something being strange about the three of us a long time ago."

"You're the most observant out of all of us, Alya, but I guess something like being angels on Earth wouldn't be blatantly advertised." Chloé said with a shrug.

"Good point," Marinette said, taking a bite of watermelon that Alya served. "But I think we'll learn about why we were chosen in due time, and we should focus on the here and now."

"Marinette's right. We need to focus on is fighting off the akumas. They're attacking left and right, possessing and attacking civilians and other non-combatants, and it's putting the city in danger. That Dark Cupid, for example." Alya said.

"Yeah, he's _definitely_ up to something," Trixx said. "We need to figure out what he's plotting."

"But it's not just Dark Cupid who's arrived in Paris," Tikki said. "Don't forget, we _do_ have someone on our side."

"That's right. Carapace!" Alya said, subtly blushing. Apparently the turtle had grown on the vixen. "He's the one who's always talking about the Miraculous Something Four and intervening when we need it."

"The akumas are looking for the Miraculous Something Four, too." Nooroo informed.

"Speaking of which, what _are_ the Miraculous Something Four anyway, Pollen?" Chloé asked her kwami.

"I'm afraid I'm unaware, my queen." Pollen answered.

"What about you, Nooroo?" Chloé asked.

"I have no idea." Nooroo said.

"You'd better not be lying! If you are...!" Chloé began, glaring down at the purple kwami.

"No, I mean it! I don't know a thing, I swear!" Nooroo said, ducking behind Marinette for cover.

"Chloé, don't go threatening Nooroo like that. He's already had to cope with that from Dark Cupid." Marinette said as Tikki tried to calm Nooroo down.

"If I _did_ know something, I promise I would've told you right away." Nooroo said.

"Alright, fine," Chloé said. "But I guess in the long-term, we can't fight off the akumas without the Miraculous Something Four. And we can't find those things if we don't know what to look for."

"...Be happy together with the something four. This much I know for sure!" A voice said from the TV.

"Hang on, "the something four?" Turn the volume up!" Marinette said, and the four kwamis grabbed the remote and pressed the volume button on the TV.

On the screen was a young woman with long, wavy brown hair, brown eyes, and fair skin. She was wearing a white wedding dress, several jewelry pieces, and she was sitting next to a man her age. He had fair skin, a cheeky, boyish smile, and pale blonde hair with a black hairline. He was also wearing an ivory tuxedo.

"Wow! Clara Nightingale!" Alya said, a smile.

"Clara who?" Nooroo asked.

"Oh, she's a very popular pop singer! And it looks like it's her wedding press conference!" Marinette explained.

"There are four things that I say a bride needs to wear on her wedding day. Something old, new, borrowed, and blue. Then marriage will be forever blissful, it's true!" Clara said, rhyming all of her words.

"Okay, so it's something old, something new, something borrowed, and something blue. The traditional "good luck" items a bride needs on her wedding day." Tikki said while Marinette began writing all of it down.

Clara then stood up and showed off some accessories she was wearing.

"This veil I inherited from my grandmother is the something old, this rose hairpin is the something new. My something borrowed are my mother's gloves with buttons of gold, and these blue earrings are something blue!" Clara said, rhyming again. "I'll be happy with Ross Finch wearing these, this much I can almost guarantee!"

Clara turned to her groom and scooted closer to him. He was smiling and blushing in response, too. All the reporters and photographers are the hotel were cooing, finding the interaction cute. And the cameras were shooting photos like crazy.

Outside the hotel, though, Dark Cupid appeared, sensing the love wave coming from a celebrity wedding.

"Toroldum, ruinism, toroldum, ruinism, toroldum ruinism! Curse all those who love. Curse them with hate!" Dark Cupid said.

"Who knew that it only took those four things to have a happy marriage?" Chloé said, quirking a brow.

"I don't think it's that simple, Chloé." Marinette said.

"Yeah, there's more to a happy relationship than that," Alya said. "Look at your parents, Chlo. And remember what happened on my parents' wedding anniversary?"

"Right, I nearly forgot." Chloé said.

"But now that we're talking about it, any idea what the something four have to do with the Miraculous Something Four _we_ need to find and keep out of the akumas' grasp?" Trixx asked.

"No clue," Nooroo said. "The only thing we have to go on right now is that it's wedding-related."

"That makes sense, since our clothes as Love Angels before our Bridal Change _are_ wedding dresses," Marinette said, before blushing and smiling. "Speaking of which, I can't wait to have my _own_ wedding so I can make my own wedding dress, and find a way to tastefully incorporate the something four in it."

"Shouldn't you find a boyfriend first?" Chloé teased.

Marinette stiffened before nervously saying, "Um... Working on it, working on it."

Alya smiled a cheeky, teasing smile and said, "Marinette, I think that if you're going to marry _anyone_ , it's going to be Adrien Agreste. No doubt."

"Alya, how many times do I have to say it?! That guy makes me want to throw up!" Marinette said sternly.

"Oh, please," Chloé snickered. "You and Adrien are _adorbs_ together! You two would make a great couple."

"I hate him, I mean it!" Marinette protested, her face redder than her suit.

The girls just started laughing while Marinette sat and sank in her seat. She was embarrassed about being teased about liking Adrien.

Tikki and Nooroo were close by and the two kwamis landed in Marinette's hands. They looked at her in concern and Marinette asked, "What do you two think? Me and Adrien? A cute couple?"

"Well... I _sort of_ see it." Tikki said, refraining from mentioning how she and Nooroo got Adrien to wake Marinette up from Sandboy's magic with a kiss.

 _"Sort of?"_ Marinette asked.

Once again, Marinette remembered the moment she and Adrien shared in the nurse's office, and the time he protected her from Bijou during her wedding. Both times, he was there for her when she needed it.

Just as she was pondering it, something unexpected happened on the TV.

She yawned loudly, and with a bored, tired expression on her face, she said, "That's it. I'm not getting married after all. I quit."

"Huh?!" The girls said in shock as they watched the TV.

This caused everyone in the room to gasp as Clara stood up and said, "Marriages take a lot of work. If you ask me, more trouble than it's worth."

Everyone in the room was floored at her sudden attitude change, Ross especially. As Clara left the room, the reporters and Ross chased after her, trying to get answers.

"Wow, why the sudden about-face?" Marinette asked, confused.

"Are you thinking what I'm thinking?" Alya asked.

"That it's the akumas at work?" Chloé asked.

"Uh oh! We'd better go!" Marinette said. The kwamis hid while the girls dashed for the apartment door.

It took all but a minute before they were running down the street. Alya and Chloé were gaining a huge lead while Marinette was lagging behind.

"Hey, wait up! Don't leave me behind like this!" Marinette shouted.

Alya and Chloé turned a corner and kept going. Marinette followed suit before slamming into someone and falling on her butt.

"Ow...!" Marinette whined as she rubbed her butt.

"Hey, you okay down there, Mariboo?" Adrien asked, still standing.

Marinette sighed loudly before saying, "Adrien, I'll say it before and I'll say it again: _don't call me "Mariboo!"_ It's a simple request. Can't you honor that?"

Adrien chuckled bent down before saying, "Sorry. How about "Mari-butt" instead?"

"Beg your pardon?!" Marinette said.

"Yeah, like you might wanna watch where you're going next time if you don't like falling on your "Mari-butt." Get what I'm saying?" Adrien teased.

"Ugh, that's even _worse!_ " Marinette complained. "Anyway, I was in a rush, so I'm sorry about that. But _you_ could apologize, too."

"Sorry, then." Adrien teased as he held out his hand. Marinette took it and he yanked her up.

"At least be genuine, Adrien." Marinette said with a scoff.

"Changing the subject, you're in a rush, right? You okay with being late?" Adrien asked, thumb-jerking behind him.

Marinette looked behind him and saw Alya and Chloé were still running.

"Crap! Gotta go! Hang on, girls!" Marinette shouted, dashing off, but not without turning around and barking at Adrien, _"I hate you, Adrien Agreste! I hate you, hate you, HATE YOU!"_

Adrien scratched his head and said, "Nice girl, but overly-excitable if you ask me."

The girls had dashed over the hotel lickety-split, and they'd soon found the reporter, Nadja Chamack.

"Nadja Chamack, live in front of the Hotel Bel Ami, where pop singer Clara Nightingale has just mysteriously disappeared from the banquet hall!" Nadja said in front of the camera.

"Any idea where she went?!" Marinette asked Nadja.

"I'm afraid not." Nadja admitted.

"And _you_ call yourself a TV reporter? Come on, Alya can do better than that." Marinette complained.

"I'm sorry," Nadja said before noticing the girls next to her. "Marinette?! What are you doing here?"

Chloé put herself in the camera and she said, "Hello there! Chloé Bourgeois, Mayor André Bourgeois and Audrey Bourgeois's daughter here, with the rest of my school's fashion club!"

"Enough, Chloé, we're in the camera crew's shot. Come on," Marinette said as she pulled Chloé out of the way. "We're sorry for the interruption, Mrs. Chamack."

"Hey! You ruined my moment in the spotlight, Marinette!" Chloé complained.

"You're in the spotlight a lot because of your parents' work, aren't you?" Marinette asked.

"Oh, right. Good point." Chloé said.

They noticed Alya had started standing off to the side. Her eyes were closed, her Miraculous was glowing, and she and Trixx were meditating or something similar.

"Trixx? Alya? What are you two doing?" Marinette asked, worried about having one of the kwamis out in the open.

The Miraculous stopped glowing and Alya said, "Okay, I'm seeing a very thick forested area about south northwest of here."

"You think that's where Clara ran off to?" Marinette asked.

"Hang on, since when have _you_ been able to use psychic abilities?" Chloé asked.

"Whatever gave you the idea about psychic abilities, Chloé?" Trixx asked, quirking a brow.

"Yeah, _everyone_ knows that Clara Nightingale has an apartment in the forest area south northwest of our current location." Alya laughed.

Marinette face-palmed while Chloé complained, "Then don't get all enigmatic and witchy about it, Alya!"

"But there's just one thing: I _do_ see a large cherry tree in the center of the woods, and there's a young woman lying beneath the branches." Alya said, crossing her arms.

"Quit talking like that! We can't just stand around here doing nothing, and your faux mystique persona is getting us nowhere! Come on!" Chloé said as she dashed off.

"She's right, let's go!" Marinette said as she and Alya took off after Chloé.

In about thirty minutes, they'd come upon Clara's apartment and they saw that there was a large news media crew in front it, ringing the doorbell constantly.

"Clara?! Are you there?!" "If you're there, please give us a comment!" "You can't ignore us!" "The people have the right to know what's going on in your personal life!" "Hiding from the press and refusing to let us report the truth isn't very nice!"

The girls were bemused at the sight of the crew trying to get into Clara's privacy, and they each face-palmed.

"Okay, I'm a reporter and I _love_ getting the latest news on _anything_ , but _this_ is going too far." Alya said, shaking her head in disturbance.

"Some things just _aren't_ meant for the mass public to know. Us three being Love Angels for example." Marinette commented.

The media crew was _still_ trying to get to Clara and get a comment on her sudden change in attitude about the wedding. Meanwhile, the girls were wondering what they were going to do.

"Okay... How are we going to get to Clara and stop any akumas like this?" Marinette began.

"With all those people in the way, we can't check and see if akumas really _are_ responsible for Clara's behavior." Alya said.

Nooroo popped out and he faced the girls. Marinette asked, "What's the matter, Nooroo?!"

"I'm feeling the spirit of an akuma nearby! It's over by that wooded area over there!" Nooroo said, pointing out the forest near the outskirts of the city.

"Let's move it!" Marinette said as she and the girls followed after the purple kwami.

They were running as fast as they could with Nooroo leading the way. They were soon in the woods, and since they were alone, the other kwamis left their hiding spots and kept pace with Nooroo.

The group soon got out of the woods and came to a clearing. Up on a hill was a giant cherry tree.

"Hey, check it out! Just like you said, Alya, there's a giant cherry tree out in the middle of the woods!" Marinette said, pointing out the tree.

The kwamis saw that there was a woman in a white dress sitting underneath the tree.

"Hey, look! There's a woman sitting under the tree, too!" Tikki said. "It's gotta be Clara!"

"Just like Duchess Alya predicted." Pollen commented.

"Whaddya know? Looks like I might have some psychic powers after all." Alya joked while giggling. Trixx had to laugh alongside her owner, too.

"Hold on, girls!" Marinette said, pointing at Clara.

It was easy to miss, but there was this blackish-green mist radiating off Clara's fallen form. Marinette looked to her friends and they all gave a nod, ready to step in.

Clara, lying on her stomach under the tree, had a voice speaking to her.

 _"There's no need for something like love. It's such a waste of energy and it's foolish. So Clara, give me your something four."_ The akuma's voice said.

"I'm tuckered out, and it's a pain in the ass. If you want them, come and get them fast." Clara said, rhyming as always.

"Clara, keep your something four on hand!" Ladybug said as she and her bridal posse were up in a tree branch. They were all in their dresses instead of their suits.

Clara stood up and a giant lightning bolt of akuma energy blasted her from above. She screamed in agony before her face and eyes changed into blank white eyes and red markings on the cheeks, a tell-tale sign of possession.

"I'll make your little hearts all lazy, so come and relax!" Clara said. She wasn't the one talking, the akuma was, hence why her rhyming stopped.

Ladybug jumped out of the way in time, but the black lightning didn't miss Rena Rouge or Queen Bee. They screamed in pain, and Ladybug turned around in concern.

Queen Bee and Rena Rouge landed on both feet on the ground while Ladybug landed in front of them.

"Girls, you okay?" Ladybug asked.

Rena Rouge and Queen Bee stood up, but they both yawned loudly, covering their mouths.

"I don't know why, but... Fighting this akuma just seems like a waste of time right now." Queen Bee commented.

"Yeah..." Rena Rouge agreed.

"Rena Rouge? Queen Bee?" Ladybug asked, quirking a brow in confusion.

The akuma-possessed Clara cackled, taking Ladybug's attention back.

"They'll think anything will be too much trouble, so don't bother trying! Join us and be lethargic!" The possessed Clara said to Ladybug.

"Listen to me, Clara! Don't let the akumas' lies contaminate your heart!" Ladybug said as she turned her bouquet into her yo-yo and started spinning it and releasing her love wave onto the possessed celebrity.

While Clara was groaning in pain, Ladybug was praying that she would remember the love between her and Ross.

One moment came to Clara's mind.

 _They were taking a break while filming a scene for an upcoming episode of "Justin & Jenny." Clara had some trouble curbing her usual habit of rhyming her words, something the director had noticed. She was off to the side drinking some water, worried about how she'd be able to get through filming without problems. _

_"Clara,"_ _Ross said as he approached his costar. "It's going to be okay. You're an expert at Jenny's scenes, this won't be a problem for you."_

 _"Thank you, Ross, I needed to hear that," Clara said, her eyes tearing up with happy tears. She then grabbed Ross's hand. "Let's get back on set and film this scene, STAT!"_

Clara woke up from her possession and with happy, teary eyes, she said, "Ross..."

"Ugh... What's this love wave?! YUCK!" A voice said and a black energy blob flew out of Clara, causing her to collapse.

Up in the air, the black energy formed into a creature that looked like a cartoonish bighorn sheep, but it was carrying a pillow and it looked pretty lethargic.

"No! It's Ohima!" Nooroo pointed out.

"Ohima?" Ladybug asked.

Ohima started to yawn loudly with his mouth wide open.

"Why are you yawning like that?" Ladybug asked, her hands on her hips.

"Watch it, Ladybug!" Nooroo warned.

Too late, though: Ohima started yawning and firing black energy pellets at Ladybug. This time she didn't move out of the way in time and the blast hit her dead on. Once the assault ceased, Ladybug yawned loudly and heavily and she wound up squatting on the grass along with her team.

Ohima then used his pillow to gather up the Something Four off of Clara and then he took off in a black energy orb.

The girls were lethargic and smiling with easygoing expressions. They weren't moving much and didn't understand the urgency of the situation.

Nooroo was panicking at this, but then someone came up next to him in the air: Carapace. His arms were crossed and he was looking at the angels in worry.

"Oh, hi Carapace." Ladybug casually said.

"Dudettes, pluck up some motivation! That akuma might have just made off with the Miraculous Something Four!" Carapace said, urgency in his tone.

"Made off with the Miraculous Something Four?" Ladybug repeated.

"Who cares about utterly ridiculous stuff like that?" Queen Bee asked tiredly.

"Chloé's right. Carapace, we just want to relax and sunbathe. We could all use some vitamin D." Rena Rouge said.

The girls nodded, still with lazy smiles on their faces.

One of the smaller Miracle Boxes, specifically Marinette's, rose up and opened itself up. The image of Master Fu projected itself inside the box.

"Oh, Master Fu..." Ladybug said.

"I think now might be the right time to tell the three of you a love story that's been passed down for generations in the angel realm," Master Fu said, getting the girls' attention. "This story happened many years ago..."

 _In the middle of a vast, brightly-colored, star-speckled sky was a beautiful place. In stark contrast to the akuma realm, this place was shimmering in pure white and pastel colors, with free-flowing, flower-petal-like shapes making up the natural structures of the realm. In the nearby forest, there was a large, flower-like structure that acted as a fountain, with water flowing quietly out of the "petals" and into lower levels of the fountain._

 _"Long ago, in the forest of the angels where innumerable flowers blossomed, lived a pure angel maiden who went by the name of Samira. Samira fell in love with a dashing and heroic angel warrior, named Askari."_

 _Two young adult angels were frolicking through the woods, flying around and smiling with each other, laughing with all the love in the world. The young woman had long, dark hair and bright brown eyes framed in her tan skin tone. She was wearing a light blue dress with sheer fabric and sequins. Her companion had more angular features, a muscular frame, and was wearing a pale purple tunic, with a band on his forehead, symbol of a warrior. He was also wearing tall boots._

 _"Before too long, Askari and Samira decided to be wed."_

 _Samira and Askari held each other close and shared a kiss, prompting flowers nearby to open up their petals with a pop._

 _They were standing before an altar in the castle, hand in hand. Glowing jewelry pieces were on Samira's body._

 _"Upon her breast, Samira wore a pendant that her best friend had lent her - something borrowed. On her forehead, she wore a new tiara that held a prayer for her happiness with Askari - something new. On her finger, passed down from her grandmother to her mother, and from mother to Samira, she wore a ring - something old. And finally, the earrings she wore were something blue, as blue is the color that expresses hope for a new bride."_

 _The four glowing items were shining as they were magically placed into the castle in the glowing, colorful angel realm._

 _"To ensure that their love would last for eternity, Askari and Samira took the four symbols of joy, called the Miraculous Something Four, and placed them deep in Castle Miracle."_

 _The castle started to glow brightly, like gentle sunshine. It bathed the entire realm with beautiful light._

 _"Ever since, the Miraculous Something Four have protected the angel realm with the power of their love waves, protecting and nourishing the realm for many years to come."_

The story ended there and Fu continued, "If they're lost now, the entire angel realm will be-"

Carapace had to stop the transmission and said, "Sorry to cut you off, Master Fu, but there's no time left for storytelling. Drive this laziness from your hearts, girls!"

Carapace threw his shield and then it circled around the girls, blasting the lazy energy from their bodies. They snapped out of it and stood up.

"What are we doing here?! We gotta get the something four back! Come on!" Queen Bee said.

"Right!" Marinette said.

 _"Bridal Change! Wedding Dress Transform!"_ _"Angel Creation Ladybug!" "Angel Illusion Rena Rouge!" "Angel Subjection Queen Bee!"_

"Alright, let's get going!" Ladybug said, and the girls shared a three-way high five. They took off after Dark Cupid and Ohima to retrieve the something four for Clara.

In the woods, Ohima presented Dark Cupid with the something four.

"Hang on! This isn't it." Dark Cupid said as he looked at the items.

"Oh?" Ohima said.

"This isn't the Miraculous Something Four. These are just stupid accessories for a stupid human woman to wear on her wedding day." Dark Cupid pointed out.

"Accessories, huh?" Ohima responded.

"Honestly, I think "trash" would be the right word here." Dark Cupid said, a hand on one of his hips.

"One person's trash is another person's treasure, Dark Cupid, so you'd better give it back!" Ladybug said as she and the girls confronted the akumas. Ladybug's arms were crossed. "You might think it's garbage, akuma, but to Clara, the something four she has are invaluable!"

"Foolish kids! Ohima, take care of those girls." Dark Cupid said as he took flight and left Ohima to his own devices.

But as Dark Cupid tried to make his escape, he was confronted by Carapace.

"Carapace!" Dark Cupid shouted.

"I've no hatred for you akumas, dude, but I'm not gonna stand by and let you guys invade and destroy the angel realm!" Carapace said as he took out his shield.

"Out of my way!" Dark Cupid shouted as he and Carapace once again started to have it out with each other.

Ohima spat the pellets at the girls again, but this time the angels leaped out of the way and Ladybug used her yo-yo to block any strays. Ladybug shouted, "Rena Rouge!"

 _"Mirage Bombard!"_ Rena Rouge shouted while playing her flute and shooting pellets at Ohima. The pellets gave Ohima hallucinations about his greatest desire, and it allowed him to relax and be even lazier than he already way.

"You're up, Queen Bee!" Rena Rouge shouted over to the blonde.

"Got it!" Queen Bee said as she took out her top and spun it with her string. _"Venom Spin!"_

The top started spinning around Ohima and the tip stung him in the abdomen, rendering him paralyzed and incapable of movement.

"Finish the job, Ladybug!" Queen Bee said.

 _"Ladybug Bridal Blast!"_ Ladybug shouted while spinning her yo-yo and shooting a white love wave blast at Ohima.

Once he was exposed to the purifying love waves, Ohima's features became more endearing and adorable. The little akuma smiled and he flew off into the sky, saying, "Whenever you have time, don't hesitate to stop by for a visit!"

The akuma had dropped the something four and they were falling through the sky. The girls caught the items in their hands and they all smiled.

"Alright, now to clean up the damage," Ladybug said as she raised her yo-yo up. _"Miraculous Ladybug!"_

Black and red light washed over the city and any and all damage was reversed.

Seeing that he'd lost another fight against the angels, Dark Cupid turned back to Carapace and he said, "One of these days we'll finish this, Carapace, but for the time being I'll leave you with your life!"

Dark Cupid disappeared into the sky in black ripples. Carapace just floated there.

Clara woke up and stood up. She looked around, very confused, and said, "How'd I get here? Things today are really weird."

"Clara!" Marinette shouted as she and her friends ran up to the celebrity bride, carrying her something four in hand.

"Oh?" Clara asked as the girls approached.

"Here, Clara! We found your something four in the forest over there." Marinette said as she, Alya, and Chloé put the precious accessories in Clara's hands.

"Thank you! These are so precious to me! But wait a second, who are you three?" Clara said, grateful that the girls got her items back, but curios about who they were.

"Don't worry, we're no one really important." Marinette said, only to get a scoff and an eye roll from Chloé.

"Let's just say we were helping you and Ross stay together." Alya said.

"Cocky, much?" Chloé joked.

"Is there anything that I can do for you? You've helped me out, so it's the least I could do!" Clara asked the girls.

"Well..." Marinette began. "I _have_ been a huge fan of yours for a long time. Before I met Alya and Chloé, I was all alone and I didn't have much self-confidence. And you're someone I've looked up to, always so confident and energetic. It was really inspiring for me to boost my own confidence. So... May I have your autograph?"

Marinette whipped out a piece of Clara Nightingale merchandise. It was one of her album covers.

Chloé and Alya laughed joyfully at Marinette's request, while Clara happily signed the cover before giving Marinette a hug.

A little while later, the girls were out in the square, watching the live feed of Clara and Ross's wedding. The bride and groom looked so happy together and they were looking at each other with loving smiles and blushing faces.

"That's good. Clara and Ross had their wedding without any more akuma-related and _unrelated_ madness." Marinette said.

"And she has her something four on. With that and all the work they put into their relationship, they'll be happy together forevermore!" Alya said.

"And she looks gorgeous up there! Looks like I've found a woman that I can see as an equal." Chloé remarked.

Alya and Marinette gave their blonde ally a deadpan expression at that comment.

"But I think it's safe to say that "Case Closed" by the Love Angels!" Marinette said as the girls did a high-five and started laughing again.

"Crazy girls, what are you three doing here?" Adrien said as he was passing by.

"We could ask you the same thing," Marinette said. "We were looking at the latest fashion news for the blog. The wedding dress Clara Nightingale is wearing as we speak, for example. That silhouette and fabric's going to be very popular in coming months."

"So you came out to support your fellow celebrity worshipers, huh?" Adrien joked. "Good luck with the professionalism part."

"Celebrity worshipers?!" Alya said. "I mean, yes, we admire Clara, but _worship?!_ That's crazy!"

"That's disgusting!" Chloé said, face-palming.

"What did you want me to call you three? Pufferfish?" Adrien joked again as he started walking away to his photoshoot.

"Excuse us?! Pufferfish?!" Alya shouted.

"Um, girls? You might wanna look up there." Marinette said as she pointed out a Japanese food shop, and the sign above the door was a giant fugu.

"That little...!" Chloé screamed.

 _"I hate you, Adrien!"_ Marinette shouted, before blowing a raspberry at him.

Later that night, Marinette was in her pajamas and standing on her balcony, Tikki and Nooroo floating with her. They were hoping to relax after the day they had. Marinette was holding the signed album cover.

"Oh..." Marinette said. "Today was mad, wasn't it?"

"Sure was, Marinette," Tikki said. "But now we have more information on the Miraculous Something Four!"

"Now all we have to do is find them before the akumas!" Nooroo agreed.

"Yeah..." Marinette said, before looking up to the sky. "I can't wait for the day I get married. I'll be standing side-by-side with the man I love that day. I wonder who he will be?"

In the stars in the sky, Marinette could imagine her mystery man in the sky. But the face that appeared in the stars...

"Mariboo!" Adrien's face said with a smile.

"Oh no! No way! I do _not_ want Adrien's face up in the sky like this! Out of the question!" Marinette screamed in indignation as she went back to her room and slammed the skylight door.

Nooroo and Tikki looked at each other and sighed.

* * *

 **And that's the end for this chapter! Sorry this chapter took so long. I originally wanted to wait until we got more information on the other Miraculouses and the Miraculous fusions, too (but considering how hit-and-miss the schedule for new episodes of ML tends to be, that could've been MONTHS from now).**

 **Yes, I know that in the first chapter I said that the Miraculouses won't be the Miraculous Something Four, _and_ that Marinette's mother's ring is going to be one of the items, but since it's been revealed that Miraculouses can be fused/used at the same time, I'm having second thoughts about it. Maybe the Miraculous Something Four are what I originally had in mind (non-Miraculous items that give the team upgrades), but the ultimate change is that these items actually _provide_ another Miraculous and weapon to use, thus causing a fusion? I'm really not sure, I'm still trying to figure a few things out. If I change my mind about anything about this story anytime down the line in response to new content for Miraculous Ladybug, I'll go back and edit the chapters accordingly.**

 **Also, several people have asked about Cat Noir in this story. Don't worry, he'll get his due closer to the end. For now, let's just say Adrien's got a skeleton in the closet that even _he_ doesn't know about! *Giggles* **

**In the next chapter of "Wedding Ladybug," Marinette's left to work on the blog all by herself when Alya and Chloé go off to participate in other** **extracurriculars, much to our designer's frustration. And as if that weren't bad enough, the girls wind up getting into such a big argument that it ends up compromising their secret identities, leaving Alya vulnerable to Dark Cupid's next attack! Can the trio of angels make up in time to save Alya?**

 **Hey, I thought of a new idea for the end chapters to help keep people interested in the story: small previews of upcoming episodes, not necessarily the following chapter!**

 **For example, how about a preview for chapter 21:**

 **Marinette climbed out of the pool and stretched as she finished up a few laps.**

 **"Yo Mariboo, nice swimsuit!" Adrien teased. He was standing at the door to the school pool area while in his fencing uniform.**

 **"Hey, don't look at me!" Marinette said as she covered herself and turned away, completely embarrassed.**

 **"Whoever said I was looking?" Adrien said after turning his back so he could remain a gentleman, but he was still incurring Marinette's ire. "So what's going on with Chloé?"**

 **"What are you talking about?" Marinette asked.**

 **"I spotted her with some shifty-looking girls near the clubbing district yesterday." Adrien explained.**

 **"No way! Chloé'd _never_ hang around with girls like that! She holds herself to such a high-society standard that it's annoying!" Marinette said, turning back to Adrien.**

 **"Who cares if you believe me or not. I was just a bit worried..." Adrien said as he walked away.**

 **"That couldn't've been Chloé..." Marinette said.**

 **"Hey girl," Alya said as she approached. "Chloé's been acting strange lately."**

 **"Strange? How?" Marinette asked.**

 **"I asked her if she wanted to come swimming with us today, but she said she had other arrangements. When I asked, she wouldn't answer." Alya said, crossing her arms in concern.**


	10. Nice Job! Refreshed Friendship!

**Happy Valentine's Day! It's my favorite holiday of the year!**

 **In this episode friendship will be put to the test today because that's what's happening on "Wedding Ladybug!" Chloé and Alya decide to check out other clubs one day, leaving Marinette to pull thrice the weight for them for the fashion club! And then the trio gets into an argument with each other, putting their friendship -** ** _and secret identities -_** **at MAJOR risk! And Dark Cupid manages to track down Alya, too! Can the girls make up in time?!  
**

 **Oh, and a reviewer asked me if Nino is Carapace. Yes, he is, but the angels aren't going to find out about it for a long while.**

* * *

Marinette was scrambling through the schoolyard of the high school. Everyone was going crazy because there was another on-campus photoshoot for Gabriel and as per usual, Adrien was the model and the girls were going nuts.

"Coming through!" Marinette said as she squeezed through the crowd to get in front of the girls. "Sorry, fashion club work!"

But then she noticed that she was alone. Chloé and Alya were nowhere in sight, and this raised a red flag for Marinette.

"What? Chloé and Alya aren't here yet?" Marinette asked as she took out her phone and started recording the shoot for the club. "And on a major day like today?!"

Adrien was strutting his stuff on the set, his photographer going insane with the pictures. Marinette pushed her disdain towards Adrien aside so she could record the shoot. She wanted to make sure she got enough footage for the blog. Both photos _and_ videos, especially since Alya and Chloé were MIA.

They each had their own jobs in the club. Alya was usually the one getting video footage and writing up the articles for the blog, meanwhile Marinette was the one in charge of pictures of design pieces (a lot of which were her own) and writing down descriptions to use. Chloé was usually the one keeping the audience at bay with her brattiness (Alya and Marinette admitted that it came in handy more times then they could count on both hands _each_ ). And since both she and Marinette had an eye for fashion design, they often worked together deciding on which photos to use for the blog.

Once the shoot was over, Marinette turned the video off and she started snapping pictures of Adrien in his clothes, muttering exactly the type and style of suit he was wearing.

But the girls stampeded over Marinette, causing her to stumble. She screamed, "HEY! No pushing please! I'm trying to get material for the fashion club blog!"

But the fans were relentless and she wound up stumbling and beginning to fall while screaming.

"Hey!" Adrien shouted as he caught Marinette by the arms. She managed to hang on to her phone.

"Thanks, Adrien." Marinette said, catching her breath.

"I hadn't noticed it before, but your rear is a little on the flat side, Mariboo." Adrien teased.

"Excuse me?" Marinette asked. "My butt? Flat?"

"Yeah. Not as flat as your chest, but still crepe flat." Adrien teased.

Marinette scrambled to her feet and she shouted in Adrien's face, _"Adrien, I hate you!"_

Later on, Marinette was still about as angry as Chloé when she didn't get her way on her worst days.

"Marinette, are you okay?" Tikki asked from her hiding spot in Marinette's clutch.

"No. I can always count on Chloé and Alya to help me out for the club. What changed?" Marinette asked. "They're usually so loyal."

"Something probably came up. Maybe Nooroo knows." Tikki said.

"I hope so," Marinette said. "Good thing the little guy knows how to stay hidden."

She stormed over to the club room and threw the door open and sighed angrily. She said, "Chloé, Alya, what were you doing?! There was that school photoshoot! Why'd you choose _today_ to skip out on gathering information for the blog?!"

But the room was empty, save for Nooroo, who was sitting on the table and eating a bit of honey out of a jar that he shared with Pollen and Tikki. Nooroo saw the angry look on Marinette's face and he put the jar down, murmuring, "Oh no..."

"Nooroo?" Marinette asked as she approached the table. She picked Nooroo up into her hands. "Where'd Chloé and Alya get to?"

"They... They're checking out other clubs today." Nooroo said.

 _"What?! Checking out other clubs?!"_ Marinette shouted, angry and ticked off. She gently put the purple kwami down and said to Tikki, "Come on, let's go get them. I think I know where Alya might be. With the newspaper club."

Marinette hit the nail on the head. Alya'd been called in by the newspaper club to help them out with some journalist tips and tricks. They wanted to do a field report, and thought Alya could be of assistance.

"Hey Alya, since your mom's the chef at Le Grand Paris, maybe you can help us out with our food and lifestyle section of the newspaper?" A girl who was in charge of the food reporting section of the newspaper asked Alya.

"Sounds like a good idea," Alya said. "And your food writing is pretty strong."

"Thanks. I've had plenty of practice." The girl said.

"We certainly weren't mistaken to ask you to help us out for the newspaper club!" The club leader said as she approached Alya and put her hand on the girl's shoulder.

"Aw, thanks! Soon you'll call me Queen Muckraker!" Alya said.

""Queen Muckraker," huh?" Marinette said as she had found Alya and said. "Alya, what are you doing over here with these people?"

"Oh, hey Marinette!" Alya said.

"Alya, don't tell me you've forgotten what's happening today for the club?" Marinette said, crossing her arms.

Alya thought about it for a second, and then the lightbulb went off in her head as she realized what Marinette was talking about.

"Oh crap! The deadline for the club blog!" Alya said.

"You _did_ forget!" Marinette said, indignant. "And _I'm_ usually the clumsy and forgetful one."

"I'm _so sorry_ , Marinette!" Alya said. "But the people here at the newspaper club asked me to help them out so they could make some improvements for the latest issue. Besides, it's only one day. I doubt you and Chloé will have any problems on your own."

"I love that you have this much faith in us, but Chloé's preoccupied with another club too!" Marinette said, clearly annoyed. She groaned. "Honestly, today just keeps getting worse! First the two of you ditch me, and then I get teased for both my butt _and_ my chest by Adrien!"

Alya quirked a brow, confused about that comment.

"Come on, Marinette. You're in the fashion club, right? Maybe you can join us for our field reporting today and maybe you can help us write an article about what people are wearing? It can help out with the blog later on and the two of you can grow as fashionistas _and_ journalists!" The president suggested.

Marinette admitted that she had a good point, but she was still upset and said, "It's a very nice offer, but I'm out. I'm going to go find Chloé!"

She turned on her heel and stormed out of the door.

Alya looked on, worried about her best friend.

Chloé was in another classroom, talking with teenaged makeup artists that've helped out at photoshoots for Gabriel in the past, often helping Adrien out. The girls were working on a few mannequins for hair cutting practice, makeup, and so much more. There were also girls doing poses, spins, and other movements.

"One, two, three. One, two, three. One, two, three, and turn." One girl said as another girl did a spin.

"Okay, maybe this nude palette would work better with these eyes... Ugh, no way! That skin tone with _that_ lipstick?! It looks terrible!" Chloé said as she was helping some of the makeup artists. "And that green eyeshadow isn't doing your eyes any favors, either!"

"You've got an eye for this, Chloé," The president of the club said. "I was pretty reluctant to scout you out, but I'm glad I was wrong."

"Yeah, you're a natural." Another member said.

"Well, _of course_ I'm a natural. Being the daughter of a famed fashion mogul _and_ the mayor comes with access to some of the _best_ cosmetology in Paris! Hair, makeup, the works!" Chloé bragged with a smirk. "Keep the compliments coming, why don't you? And besides, I'm not an _official_ member of the cosmetology club yet."

Marinette was outside the door and listening to everything.

"I knew Chloé could be big-headed, but _this_ is nuts." Tikki commented.

"Believe me, Tikki, she used to be _much_ worse. This is minor." Marinette muttered.

"Oh, if you're talking about that little fashion club, I don't see what the big deal is," The club president said. "That club already has two girls that are more concerned about writing articles about making and showing off clothes than refining their own physical beauty. Why would they need you in their group?"

Marinette snapped at that comment and then she came into the classroom and said, "Chloé, what's going on here?! Don't you have any idea what today is for the fashion club?"

Chloé thought it over before smacking her forehead with the heel of her hand and said, "Crap! Totally forgot about the deadline!"

"Yo... You forgot, too?!" Marinette said.

"Sorry about that, Marinette." Chloé said with a smile.

"I can't believe you, Chloé!" Marinette said, angry.

"Calm down, sweetie," The club president said. "There's really nothing for it. It was all in the 11th hour, but we had to ask Chloé to help us out with our cosmetology contest. We needed another model."

"A cosmetology contest?" Marinette asked.

"Why of course!" The club president said as she approached Marinette. "In modeling, you need to be just as concerned with beauty treatments and hair styling as you are about clothes, and you need to invest your whole body, soul, heart, _and_ brain into it. It's an extremely disciplined lifestyle, so there's no time in your life to be _making_ or writing about dresses and pants. That's what fashion designers like you are for. No disrespect or offense intended."

This only pissed Marinette off and she scowled at this comment. She knew that the cosmetology club president had a point, but she wasn't happy at the implication that she didn't understand or care about it.

"Sorry about this, Marinette, but she's right. When I was helping out over here, the only thing going in my mind was sharpening my own beauty so everyone would see me as more beautiful than I already am!" Chloé commented.

"Bravo! Chloé, you're not the dumb blonde that I thought you were! You've come to understand the point of our club so fast! You must be heaven-sent!" The club president said as the girls were clapping.

"Oh, yes. Beauty _is_ a double-edged sword! Both a source of joy and pain, after all." Chloé said.

"Are you mad, Chloé?! I thought you'd grown out of your conceit!" Marinette shouted, clearly angry. "I thought we were best friends, but I guess I was wrong!"

Marinette dashed out of the room, angry and crying.

"Marinette!" Chloé shouted.

"Let her go." The president said.

"But Marinette's my best friend!" Chloé said.

"Chloé, if you're going to invest your time and energy into your beauty, you have to start putting that above everything else. If you put other people before that, the Goddess of Beauty will just toss you aside like a rotten apple core. Beauty is part of love, after all. Understand?" The club president said.

"I..." Chloé began, but then she blushed in joy and looked out the window. "That's so true! It's totally true! Right, Master Fu?"

In a dark dimension somewhere, Carapace was watching a glass dome with interest. The dome contained images of the girls' Miraculous items. The jewelry pieces went from shiny and untarnished to dark gray and filled with cracks, like rocks that'd been eroded over millions of years.

"What... What's going on? The angels' friendship waves are getting weaker by the second..." Carapace said.

"Carapace." A voice said.

Carapace looked to his left and a mirror appeared. In the mirror was Master Fu. Carapace kneeled in front of his master.

"Master Fu."

"This's become a huge problem, Carapace," Master Fu said. "If the angels' love waves keep diminishing, they're going to be in big trouble."

"Meaning?" Carapace asked.

"The only reason they've remained undetected by the akumas up to now is because of the strong waves of friendship that they feel for each other," Master Fu explained. "A barrier was formed from their friendship's energy, and that in turn kept their identities secret from the akumas."

"So what's this going to mean now, dude?!" Carapace asked, nearly frantic.

"Their secret's compromised; they're vulnerable now. If they happen to have a run-in with a higher-ranking akuma that's capable of detecting and tracking the love waves that they radiate..." Master Fu began.

"No need to finish that sentence," Carapace said. "They'll be in hot water because their identities as love angels will be known. I'd better do something, dude."

Up on the Eiffel Tower, Dark Cupid was standing on the top.

"Find all the people who are in love and dispatch them. Find anyone _capable_ loving and eradicate them. So long as love exists, those of us with hearts filled with animosity and ate will never know any peace." Dark Cupid recited as he conjured up a normal-looking phone.

But this wasn't an ordinary phone by a long-shot. Not anymore. In fact, Dark Cupid had stolen it from a phone shop and then turned it into another akuma to suit his needs. His goal: detect the love waves radiated by the angels, so he could find them and get rid of them permanently.

"Tell me, are you certain you've tracked down and identified the Love Angels?" Dark Cupid asked.

"No mistaking it, Master Dark Cupid!" The phone said as it conjured up a holographic image of the GPS/Map application on the screen. "My system has pinpointed their exact location!"

The triangle on the map that represented a person or desired location was near the Seine.

"Right there!" The phone said as he pointed out the location.

Out near the river, the newspaper club was out walking around the city to try and find stories to report on. They'd just finished up interviewing some of the nearby eateries, and were now running around and looking for more things to report on. Alya was running ahead of the group, eager to find more to write about for the newspaper.

"Come on team, let's keep running!" Alya said as she was enthusiastically running and smiling. "Stories aren't going to write themselves!"

Alya seemed oblivious to the girls falling behind her and how tired out they seemed to be. It didn't seem like they were enjoying this little jogging session of theirs. Alya looked behind her and she saw everyone else lagging behind.

She rolled her eyes and said, "Geez, inspiring these guys is a lot of work. Better show them what else I can do. How a _real_ journalist does it!"

Alya kept jogging, unaware that she was being watched. Dark Cupid was standing on the railing of the bridge while his phone akuma conjured up a close-up image of Alya's profile.

"There she is." The phone said.

"Are you certain?" Dark Cupid asked.

"Indeed I am, sir!" The phone repeated.

Dark Cupid smirked at the sight of the unassuming girl and he said, "Intriguing..."

Alya decided that the reporters needed a break and she decided to bring them down stairs to the bank of the Seine. She had them sit down on the bench or the floor. They were all breathing heavily and exhausted from the trek all around the city.

"Are you okay?" Alya asked the crew. "Geez, I didn't think you'd get _this_ wiped out after running around looking for stuff for the newspaper for the school."

"Man... Of all the reporters to ask for help, why'd we have to ask _her?_ " One of the members asked, winded from the run.

"Well... Maybe I took a few too _many_ leaves out of Nora's book." Alya said, crossing her arms.

"Hey!" A voice shouted and then the group turned around to see a somewhat taller boy with a fedora that'd been lowered to cover his eyes and face from view. He also looked fairly buff and athletic for his age. "Listen, redhead. I'd like to see what you've got."

"Excuse me?" Alya asked, knowing he was talking to her.

"Are you deaf? I said I'd like to see what you've got. If you're that devoted to reporting, then I'd like to see what materials and stories you have." Dark Cupid said, in his disguise.

"Hey, who do you think you are, being so rude!" One of the boys said as he stood up.

"What school newspaper club are _you_ from?" "You're pretty conceited for a guy who hides his face behind a hat!" "Yeah!"

"Quiet, you." Dark Cupid said.

"Excuse us?!" Another boy said.

"Come on, let's teach this creep some etiquette!" A slightly buffer girl said as they all ran to beat the guy up and get him to leave Alya alone.

But the stranger not only knocked everyone off their feet, but they all fell down, completely out cold. Alya gasped and covered her mouth for a second before shouting to the intruder, "What did you do?!"

"Don't worry, they're only unconscious, little girl. Now it's your turn." He said.

"You don't know who you're messing with, cretin!" Alya shouted as she took a few hints from her sister and ran to attack. She flipped the guy, but he managed to land on his feet.

The boy turned around and Alya said, "This guy could give Nora a run for her money..."

Taking another hint from her sister, she charged the guy, but then he got her into a headlock and lifted her off the ground. He started slowly increasing the tightness of his hold while Alya struggled to break free while kicking her legs.

Nooroo was flying around in the air, minding his own business, when he noticed what was happening down below.

"What the! Alya! What on Earth..." Nooroo began, but then his eyes widened when he noticed something. "OH CRAP!"

Nooroo shouted as he saw right through the disguise Alya's attacker was wearing.

"That's Dark Cupid! I gotta do something!" Nooroo shouted before zipping off to find the girls.

Back at the school, Marinette was typing furiously on the school computer to get the blog post ready and she was still pretty angry about her friends ditching her.

"Fine! It's that the way they want it, then I'm going to get the post ready all on my own!" Marinette fumed. "I hadn't the slightest idea Alya could be this shallow! Chloé I get, though..."

"Don't you think you're being a little petty about this, Marinette?" Tikki asked. "They've got the right to pursue their other interests."

"Maybe so, but they shouldn't just leave me hanging on this either! Even if they come back this instant, I..." Marinette began, but Tikki cut in.

"You _should_ forgive them, Marinette," Tikki said. "You're usually the one who has issues with being on time, but otherwise you're pretty responsible about your duties as Ladybug _and_ your duty to the blog. Maybe you should just give them a pass on this one time?"

Marinette thought about what Tikki was saying and realized that her kwami had a point.

"Maybe you're..." Marinette started, but the door to the club room opened and Chloé walked in. Once she was inside, Pollen came out.

"Oh, you're back? Well, that's good," Marinette said, her back still turned to Chloé. "I should've been more mature about this, Chloé. I'm sorry, and... I forgive you for this, too."

But then she saw Chloé had opened up one of the cabinets and she was taking a few things out.

"Still working on this, Marinette?" Chloé asked as Pollen helped clear out the smaller stuff that the kwamis were able to move around.

"Well, yes!" Marinette said. "Why did you even come back if you're not here to help?"

"All this stuff gets so filthy sitting around here," Chloé said. "It's ridiculous. Utterly ridiculous."

Marinette rolled her eyes, annoyed by Chloé's dislike of getting her hands dirty.

"I haven't joined the cosmetology club yet, but they said they'd hold my stuff so it wouldn't get all dirty or soiled by all the makeup." Chloé commented.

"Fine by me!" Marinette spat. "Go ahead and take your things!"

Chloé turned back to Marinette, confused about her behavior, and Pollen wasn't sure about Marinette's attitude, either.

"Since cosmetology is such a passion for you, why not drag your fancy bed from the hotel over to that room and _sleep_ there? Beauty sleep on steroids!" Marinette said, rolling her eyes.

"Hey, now you're crossing the line!" Chloé barked.

"Nothing new for you, Chloé." Marinette said, crossing one leg over the other and folding her arms.

"We've got trouble!" Nooroo shouted as he flew in through the window.

"Nooroo, what's going on?!" Tikki asked as the girls were surprised to see Nooroo come in, frantic.

"It's a disaster! Alya's under attack by Dark Cupid!" Nooroo declared.

"What?!" Marinette said.

"Dark Cupid?!" Chloé said.

"Yeah! Come on, we gotta go and help her now!" Nooroo said, with Pollen and Tikki ready to fight.

But Marinette, still upset with her friends, said, "Alya's got this covered. She's been trained by Anansi, so she should be able to handle it."

"Huh?!" Nooroo said, surprised.

"Amen to that," Chloé said as she continued gathering up her stuff. "Alya's barbaric enough to fight that guy on her own, and up to this point we've sent him packing."

"Are you insane, Chloé?! What's happened?!" Nooroo shouted.

"I'm _busy_ , that's what happened. I gotta get back to the cosmetology club." Chloé said.

"Is that right? Don't let me keep you from getting your perfect French manicure even _more_ perfect!" Marinette spat, angry.

The girls gave each other a humph and looked away.

"What?! NO! This can't be happening, can it?!" Nooroo squeaked, and Pollen and Tikki were looking worried, too.

Alya was still struggling to break free from the headlock, kicking her legs and trying to breath.

"So, you gonna show yourself, _Love Angel?_ " Dark Cupid asked.

"E... Excuse me?!" Alya asked.

"I said the jig is up. I know you're a Love Angel!" Dark Cupid said as he shed his disguise.

Alya was shocked to see this guy attacking her and she thought, _'Dark Cupid?! How?!'_

"I'm giving you two choices, little Love Angel. One: tell me where the Miraculous Something Four are and then get brainwashed by the akumas. Two: reject me and die!" Dark Cupid said before tightening his hold.

Alya screamed and she began to think, _'No choice! I'll blow my cover, but I'll show this guy not to mess with Rena Rouge!'_

But as Alya looked down at her necklace, she saw that it had turned grey like stone and it seemed like it rusted a little bit, too.

Trixx was watching from her hiding spot and she was scared. Alya couldn't transform with her Miraculous in its current state!

 _'What?! No! The necklace is dead! I can't transform!'_ Alya thought, worried.

"Listen to me! Alya's done for if we don't hurry!" Nooroo said, urging the girls to take action.

"Quiet, Nooroo!" Marinette said. "This is Alya we're talking about. Her sister trained her in boxing. She can take care of herself."

"Come on, Chloé!" Nooroo said, trying to convince Chloé to help out.

Chloé groaned and said, "Nooroo, I said that there's nothing to worry about with Alya! Stop bothering me about this!"

Nooroo, devastated and about to cry, said, "What's gotten into you girls today?! You three used to be so tightly-knit. How can... How can something this small be the cause of such a big fight?!"

Nooroo started bawling, getting the girls' attention.

"Nooroo..." Tikki said.

"Don't cry, Nooroo!" Marinette said as she stood up and held the little kwami in her hands.

"If you're going to let Alya die because you three had an argument, then you'll be no better... No, you'll be even _worse_ than the akumas who tossed me out!" Nooroo shouted, screaming.

 _"Worse than the akumas?!"_ Chloé screeched, indignant and angry.

"Do you _really_ think you'll be able to protect the Miraculous Something Four if this is how the three of you behave?!" Nooroo said.

 _"The Miraculous Something Four?!"_ Chloé and Marinette said, looking at each other with fear.

"Nooroo's right! What are we doing, acting like babies?!" Marinette said.

"Yeah! Let's get going, Marinette!" Chloé said, ready to fight.

"Um, my queen!" Pollen said, scared. She was looking at Chloé's hair. "You may want to look in the mirror!"

"What, why?! Do I have a split end?! Is anything sticking out?!" Chloé shouted as she looked at the full-length mirror that they had in the club room.

But then Chloé noticed that her comb was rusted and stone-colored, too.

"No! My Miraculous!" Chloé shouted.

"It's not just your comb, Chloé!" Marinette said as she saw that her earrings were rusted and turned to stone, too. "Look, my Miraculous is dead, too!"

"What is going on here?!" Chloé said, freaking out.

"Nooroo hit the nail on the head, Love Angels." A voice said, and then Carapace appeared in a cloud of sparkles while the rest of the room turned yellow.

"Carapace!" Marinette said.

"Girls, remember how Master Fu said that the Miraculous Something Four, the symbols of peace for the entire universe, were being held in safekeeping in Castle Miracle in the angel realm?" Carapace asked.

"Yes." Marinette said.

"Well... That actually isn't true. The Miraculous Something Four aren't _in_ the angel realm." Carapace said.

 _"Say what?!"_ The group of five asked.

"At some point, Mayura sent an army of wicked akumas to lead an assault on the angel realm." Carapace began.

 _The scene changed to the angel realm in a large orb of white light, and many akumas were attacking it from all sides._

 _"Their goal: destroy the angel realm and all of the love waves that it created." Carapace explained._

 _Akumas were attacking left and right, and they weren't about to stop any time soon._

 _"It was a long war," Carapace explained. Master Fu conjured up a giant turtle shield and started radiating large ripples of pink love waves from his body to defend the realm. "Master Fu created a barrier with the Turtle Miraculous to guard the realm from the attacks, but the akumas didn't give up, and it seemed like at some point they'd break through."_

 _The old Master took the four objects and bubbled them up._

 _"So to protect the angel realm, Master Fu took a bold move: he chose to send the Miraculous Something Four down to the human realm." Carapace explained._

 _Master Fu blasted the white orbs out of the angel realm, along with many other white orbs and they all rained down on the human realm over the city of Paris, as a giant meteor shower._

 _Once the items landed, the glowing planet of the human realm radiated pink lines of love waves._

 _"Once they arrived in the human realm, they amplified and increased the strength of the love waves that were already there, and they were then sent back to the angel realm." Carapace continued._

 _The pink love waves zoomed up to the angel realm and blasted the akumas away from the angel realm. The love waves radiating from the human realm caused the angel realm to glow._

 _"This is how the angel realm has slipped from the akumas' grasp and stayed safe. And since there was no need for Master Fu to retain the Turtle Miraculous anymore because of this, he passed it on to me." Carapace ended._

"So because Master Fu sent the Miraculous Something Four down here, that's why Dark Cupid and the other akumas are attacking the human realm to try and find them." Marinette said.

"Exactly," Carapace said. "Master Fu believes in the love and friendship the three of you share, and that you can win any battle. He has complete faith that the three of you and the shared love will save the angel realm. The power of love, always so strong, dudettes."

"The power of love... Always so strong." Marinette said.

"So the three of you need to forgive each other, renew your friendship, and go and fight!" Carapace said before vanishing.

The girls were left in silence for a few seconds. Chloé said to Marinette, "I'm sorry, Marinette."

"Chloé?" Marinette asked.

"I was being so shallow and shortsighted. I was wrong about love and beauty's importance." Chloé said.

"Chloé..." Marinette said, smiling in remorse. "I wasn't acting very mature, either. I should be apologizing, too."

The girls' items changed back to their normal, perfectly polished selves, and they smiled.

"Perfect! Your Miraculouses are back to normal!" Tikki said.

"Now let us go out and save our noble angel of illusion!" Pollen said.

Marinette and Chloé smiled at each other and nodded.

Alya was thrown onto the ground by Dark Cupid and he stood above her as she was coughing and holding her throat in pain.

"Well, why not stop messing around and show us who you _truly_ are: a Love Angel." Dark Cupid said.

Alya merely glared back before saying, "My name is Alya. Use it. And what kind of insane nonsense are you spouting?"

"Well, if that's the way you're going to play it, Love Angel, you'll die as a helpless human girl." Dark Cupid said as he conjured up his bow and arrow and took aim.

"Hey, whoever said I was helpless?!" Alya spat back, thinking, _'Damn it! Chloé, Marinette!'_

A yo-yo zipped out and snagged the bow and arrow, and a voice said, "Hold it right there, akuma!"

The akumatized phone and Dark Cupid looked up to the road near the Seine and there were Ladybug and Queen Bee together, in their wedding gowns.

"So you've shown yourself, Ladybug?" Dark Cupid said, smirking.

"Queen Bee! Ladybug!" Alya said, smiling in relief.

 _"Bridal Change! Wedding Dress Transform!"_ Queen Bee and Ladybug shouted together.

 _"Angel Creation Ladybug!" "Angel Subjection Queen Bee!"_

"Now for you to die, girls!" Dark Cupid said as he flew up to fight them off. He shot an arrow at them, but they both jumped out of the way, with Ladybug blocking the arrow with her shield.

A cloud of smoke and shoot billowed out from the space.

"Thank you!" Alya said as Trixx came out of hiding. "I should've known that you'd come through for me like the best friends that you are!"

Alya's necklace changed back to normal and Trixx said, "Hey, your Miraculous is usable again!"

"Time to show that evil cupid who's boss!" Alya said, standing up. _"Cunning Wedding Flower!"_

After changing into her gown, Rena Rouge took the next step.

 _"Angel Illusion Rena Rouge!"_ Rena Rouge declared before switching into her suit.

Ladybug fell on her rear while Queen Bee said, "Ladybug!"

"Take this!" Dark Cupid said as he shot another arrow. The girls braced themselves, but Rena Rouge jumped in front and started twirling her flute to block the arrow.

Rena stood up and said, "You can't keep this vixen down for long."

"Rena!" Ladybug said as Queen Bee helped her up.

"It's about time." Queen Bee said.

"Sorry I'm late." Rena said.

"Same here, Rena." Ladybug said.

"I'm sorry about everything." Queen Bee said.

"It's cool," Rena Rouge said. "But how about we kick some akuma ass?"

Rena Rouge blew her flute and started firing white pellets at the two akumas, shouting, _"Mirage Bombard!"_

Dark Cupid managed to dodge out of the way, but the akumatized phone got hit by the illusions.

 _"Venom Spin!"_ Queen Bee shouted as she spun her top. It started circling around the phone, and then the top's tip stung the phone, paralyzing it.

 _"Ladybug Bridal Blast!"_ Ladybug shouted as she shot her white love wave energy at the phone. It's expression turned happy before flying off into the sky.

"One day you'll fall, Angels!" Dark Cupid shouted before flying off.

"We did it!" The girls declared as they all held hands and started jumping up and down happily.

"I'm sorry, Marinette. I'll tell the newspaper club I can't help them out anymore." Rena Rouge said.

"Are you nuts, Alya? You're not the type to back out after promising something!" Ladybug said. "I'm proud that one of my BFF's got asked to help. And Chloé, it's amazing that the cosmetology club recognizes what you have to offer, too!"

"About time you saw it, Marinette." Queen Bee said, smiling and showing that she'd forgiven the girls.

"You two are my best friends! And I love you!" Ladybug said as she and the girls did a ring-around-the-rosy together, laughing.

Nooroo, happy the girls were friends again, smiled and happily said, "If that's not a relationship worth fighting for, I don't know _what_ is!"

The girls were laughing and reveling in their renewed friendship under the sunset.

* * *

 **Whew, that was close. The girls' identities are intact, their friendship is stronger than ever, and now they've learned to _never_ let it happen again lest their blow their cover!**

 **Coming up, Marinette's usually the disorganized type with time-management problems, but this time _Alya's_ the one having time trouble. The school's anniversary ceremony is coming up, but Alya's phone is acting wacky and she and Trixx wind up in a horrible future where Nino's hurt, and _badly!_ And with a sense of deja vu happening the next day, Alya has to keep her pals in the loop!**

 **And I have a few questions for you guys that I seriously need help. First thing's first: out of all the girls in Marinette's class (Alya, Lila, Chloé and Sabrina notwithstanding; they'll all have their parts in this story), which one of the girls strikes you as the one who's most likely to do tarot readings? I'm thinking Juleka.**

 **Second off, which of these super villains do you think I should use for the next episode. Basically, this super villain steals other people's time from them. Should it be** **Timebreaker? Or the villain from the newest episode, Backwarder?**

 **Time for a preview! This time we're going to see a bit of episode 14!**

 **"Are you okay, Marinette?" Tikki asked from inside the clutch. Nooroo was worried, too.**

 **"I know it was only a dream, you two, but losing my mother's ring is inexcusable. I can't let it happen in the waking world." Marinette said to her kwamis as she looked at her mother's ring.**

 **A car pulled up on the side of the curb, and then Adrien stepped out of the car.**

 **"Hey, Mariboo," Adrien said as he approached the girl. "So, what's the deal with the ring on your finger? Engaged or something?"**

 **Marinette groaned and said, "No, and even if I was, I wouldn't be engaged to _you._ "**

 **Adrien chuckled and said, "Of course not. I'd never propose to you."**

 **Marinette remembered how Adrien acted in her dream. She growled and said, "I'm leaving!"**

 **She stomped away to get to school, but Adrien grabbed her wrist, saying, "Hey, wait, I..."**

 **Marinette glared back at him and she said, "I'm serious, Adrien! I don't want to talk to you right now."**


	11. Alya the Time-Traveler!

**Okay! Now it's time for some time management challenges! Alya's phone is acting crazy, and she and Trixx somehow end up in a horrible future where Nino gets badly hurt on the school's anniversary! And it turns out that the entire thing is caused by an akuma named Timebreaker, who's capable of stealing other people's time from them and using it to stay one step ahead of the angels!  
**

* * *

The students of François Dupont Lycée were bustling about. In the school yard, everyone was working on a giant project. Chloé, Marinette, and Alya were in the center of the yard where a giant patch of grass was.

The girls were working in the grass patch, with hundreds of flower pots on hand, wearing aprons and using gardening tools. Chloé was standing around and filing her nails and looking at her phone while Alya and Marinette were arranging the flowers and planting them.

"Where are the miniature roses meant to go, Chloé?" Marinette asked as she held a pot of small, pink mini roses.

Chloé scoffed and said, "I don't know. I'm not the one digging in the dirt."

"Chloé, you're supposed to be helping out by making sure we're putting the right flowers in the right places!" Alya said, crossing her arms.

"Oh, fine," Chloé complained as she pulled up the diagram on her phone. "Okay... Marinette, they go from 2 o'clock to 4 o'clock on the outside."

"Thanks, Chloé," Marinette said as she put the pot down and took out the trowel. "But we all need to take this seriously."

"Watch it, coming through!" A few boys said as they put one of the hands of the clock in the center where the hands were all going to be connected.

"Hm... Too thick. It's going to be too heavy like this. Come on, let's get it back to the workshop." A boy said.

"Alright, heave-ho!" He said as the two boys left, and the girls ducked their heads so they wouldn't get hit.

"We're really making quick work of this, aren't we?" Marinette said.

"Yeah, and the top floor of the school is going to be where the viewing platform for the clock will be built. And it's almost done." Alya said.

"We've all worked so hard to get this done for the François Dupont Lycée centennial anniversary!" Chloé commented.

"You're one to talk!" Marinette laughed. "You haven't even gotten on your hands and knees to plant any flowers!"

"And ruin my manicure?! No thanks!" Chloé said. "I love flowers as much as the next girl, but digging around in the soil? No way."

"Speaking of flowers, Nooroo, Tikki and Pollen would probably be perfectly at home in a giant flower analog clock, don't you think?" Alya commented.

"You're so right, Alya! What ladybug, butterfly or bee _wouldn't?_ " Marinette said.

The girls started laughing happily while secretly setting aside a few flowers for the kwamis to enjoy later.

"Work like this would've been so dreadful if everyone wasn't so excited for this," Chloé said. "And with only two more days, we'd better work our asses off."

"That means you too, Chloé," Alya said. "And with only two more days... Let's pound it out!"

"Yeah!" The girls said before getting back to work... Not without Marinette dragging Chloé onto her hands and knees to help plant more flowers.

That evening at night, on top of the rooftop across from the school, Dark Cupid was looking at the clock and the school. The flower clock hadn't been finished quite yet. There were still some grass patches that weren't filled in with flower pots and the clock's hands weren't attached either.

"I feel it. There's a very powerful love wave here," Dark Cupid said, and a silhouette of a smaller girl came up behind him. "Once that stupid thing's functional, the love wave's gonna be super strong. Go and destroy the cause of this, understand?"

The silhouette of the girl leaped off the roof and started skating off through the streets.

The next morning at the Césaire apartment, Alya was getting ready for school for the day. She didn't notice that her Miraculous was glowing orange a little bit, and the same color was passed on to her phone. And then Trixx noticed something strange about the device.

"Hey Alya?" Trixx asked. "You might wanna look your phone. It's acting wild."

"Huh?" Alya said as she picked up her phone. "What the hell?"

Alya and Trixx saw that the time was fast-forwarding. The single-digit minutes were going extremely fast, each double-digit minute changed by the second, and then it took about a minute for the hour to change, too. It didn't seem like the phone was acting normally.

"This is so weird." Trixx said.

"Yeah, what's going on?" Alya asked.

"Alya, hurry up or you'll be late for school!" Marlena said from outside.

"Coming!" Alya said as Trixx hid in Alya's bag and then the redhead headed out for school for the day.

Alya ran up to the school building, and she noticed that everyone was in assembly out in the schoolyard. So Alya ran over to her friends who were in assembly with the rest of the students.

"Hey girls," Alya said as she squeezed her way over to Chloé and Marinette. "Are we doing a rehearsal for the anniversary ceremony tomorrow?"

"What are you talking about? The ceremony's _today_." Chloé said.

"Huh?! I was sure that the ceremony was tomorrow!" Alya said, confused.

"Stop joking around. Usually _I'm_ the one who forgets about stuff like this." Marinette said as she hushed Alya.

"Today's just getting stranger and stranger, isn't it, Trixx?" Alya muttered to her kwami, who nodded in response.

The principal came up on the viewing platform with a speech in hand, but he stumbled a bit, getting a laugh out of the students.

"Okay," He said, clearing his throat. "Today's weather is fitting, especially when we're honoring the ideal of loving both flowers and..."

The wind blew the speech out of the man's hand and another teacher ran to go and catch the paper piece. Once again, the students were cracking up at the notion. The principal certainly wasn't making this ceremony boring, and the students were appreciative of it.

Later on in the building, the girls were looking at the flyer that detailed the schedule for the day.

"Alright, the only thing left is for the principal and Nino, our flower appreciation representative, to climb up to the viewing platform and look down at the clock." Marinette said.

"Sounds like a great shot for the school blog's next post, huh Alya?" Chloé asked.

When Alya wasn't working on the fashion club, she was also involved with the school blog, too. Chloé and Marinette would often help her out, too, with posts about new things going on in school.

But Alya wasn't paying attention. She was still thinking that something was off and Trixx even came out of hiding.

"Alya, are you okay?" Chloé asked as she waved her hand in front of the blogger's face.

"It still feels like the ceremony should be tomorrow..." Alya said.

"You're still talking nonsense like that?" Chloé asked.

"Are you sure you're okay, Alya?" Marinette asked Alya.

"Hey girls!" Adrien said as he came through the halls. "Guess what the cafeteria's serving for a lunch special? Burgers and sweet potato fries with chocolate ice cream for dessert!"

"Burgers?! That's great news! I've never tried one, but I hear they're popular in America!" Marinette said, delighted to try the sandwich that was taking France by storm.

"Don't get cocky, silly. The entire fencing team is buying them up!" Adrien said before playfully sticking out his tongue and leaving.

Marinette rolled her eyes and sighed while crossing her arms in annoyance.

The girls ran to get good spots around the school so they could watch Nino and the principal climb the viewing platform at noon to watch the flower clock.

"And now as the clock strikes noon, the principal and our flower appreciation rep, Nino Lahiffe, head of the school radio, will climb to the top of the viewing platform." The emcee said as the principal and Nino started to climb the stairs to the top.

"Moment's here! It's going to be great!" Marinette said as she and the girls were leaning out the windows to get a good look at the event.

The clock struck noon and then the tolling sound of the clock rang out all over the schoolyard. Applause, oohing and aahing erupted from the audience.

Nino and the principal were waving and smiling out to the crowd, but apparently trouble was about to start. That instant, several supports on one of the platform beams broke, and Nino stumbled.

The girls gasped as more parts of the platform broke apart, and Nino fell from the top of the platform, screaming.

 _"NINO!"_ Alya screamed.

Nino fell onto the flower clock right on his back, and his right arm was twisted at a strange angle. To make matters worse, the flowers on part of the clock that he landed on had died, and the wilting spread all the way around the flower clock's face. Everyone was gasping and clamoring in worry over Nino.

"I'm calling an ambulance!" Chloé screamed as she took out her phone and dialed 911.

Several minutes later, the paramedics arrived outside the school gates. With a lot of spectators around, the EMT's loaded Nino onto a stretcher, into the ambulance, and then they drove away, the sirens and lights going crazy.

"Poor Nino... I heard that there's a chance that Nino broke his arm in _three_ places." Marinette said, worried about her friend.

"What? No! He's the DJ for the school radio! He can't DJ with only one arm, can he?" Alya asked, worried about Nino.

That night at her apartment, Alya sat on her bed in her room and laid down on her back.

"Talk about the worst day ever..." Alya muttered.

"You okay?" Trixx asked.

"No, I'm not, Trixx," Alya said as she took out her phone to see if there were any updates on Nino's condition. "I'm worried about Nino, the ceremony was a disaster, and there's just something about today that doesn't seem right."

But just as Alya was about to text Marinette, Trixx said, "Alya, look!"

Like that morning, time was moving extremely fast on the clock on the phone screen, but this time it was going backwards.

"Again? Trixx, check outside in the living room!" Alya said as her kwami zipped outside. for a second. Alya kept examining her phone to see what was going on, too.

"The analog clocks outside are speeding backwards, too!" Trixx reported.

Alya and Trixx looked at the time devices both digital and analog and then at each other, confused about the current happenings around them.

The next day at school, Alya was walking up to the building and she said to Trixx, "I haven't heard any news from Marinette. I hope Nino's okay..."

"Hey Alya, check that out!" Trixx said, and Alya looked up. She saw that everyone was in an assembly completely identical to the one the day before.

"Huh? What kinda ceremony is happening _today_?" Alya asked.

She saw Marinette and Chloé were in the same spots as last time, so Alya immediately dashed over to her two BFF's.

"Hey girls," Alya said as she ran over to them. "What ceremony are we doing today?"

"It's the flower clock anniversary ceremony today. Did you forget about it already?" Chloé said, crossing her arms and quirking a brow up in confusion.

"Are you for real? We _just_ did this yesterday!" Alya said, confused.

"Stop kidding around, Alya," Marinette said as she hushed Alya. "Talking during a ceremony is pretty rude."

"But we _did_ do it yesterday! And Nino got into an accident and his arm was hurt!" Alya hissed at her friends.

"Don't go talking like that, Alya!" Chloé said with a scoff before thumb-jerking behind here. "Nino's right there, perfectly fine."

Alya followed Chloé's line of sight and she saw that Nino was standing on the sidelines with some of the teachers. Alya blinked owlishly in surprise.

Just like yesterday, the principal came up on the podium with a speech in hand, but he stumbled a bit, and this cracked the students up.

"Okay," He said, once again clearing his throat. "Today's weather is fitting, especially when we're honoring the ideal of loving both flowers and..."

And like the day prior, the wind blew the speech out of the man's hand and another teacher ran to go and catch the paper piece. Once again, the students were appreciating the hilarity of the principal's clumsiness.

"Deja vu, am I right...?" Alya said, quirking a brow.

As if the day'd gotten stuck on repeat, the girls were once again in the school building and looking at the flyer that had the schedule.

"Alright, the only thing left is for the principal and Nino, our flower appreciation representative, to climb up to the viewing platform and look down at the clock." Marinette said.

"Sounds like a great shot for the school blog's next post, huh Alya?" Chloé asked.

"You two are acting the same way, too." Alya said, pointing to her friends.

"What do you mean, Alya?" Marinette asked.

"And if I'm right, then Adrien's going to come by and talk about burgers." Alya said, stating a fact.

"Huh?" Marinette and Chloé asked.

"Hey girls!" Adrien said as he came through the halls. "Guess what the cafeteria's serving for a lunch special?"

"How about burgers and sweet potato fries with chocolate ice cream for dessert, Adrien?" Alya said, a sly smile on her face.

"Wha? How'd you find out? It's supposed to be top-secret." Adrien said.

"It can't be top-secret that the fencing team is going to buy it all up from the cafeteria, can it?" Alya asked, her smile still on her face.

Adrien chuckled and said, "Hah. Talk about a bunch of big mouths, am I right?"

Adrien playfully stuck out his tongue before leaving the girls, just like yesterday.

Marinette rolled her eyes and sighed while crossing her arms in annoyance, like a video on repeat.

Alya grew a suspicious look on her face and then she said, "Girls, behind the school with me. _NOW!_ "

"Huh?" Chloé said as she and Marinette shrugged and followed after Alya.

"Nino's going to fall from the viewing platform?" Marinette asked as Alya brought the girls behind the school to discuss the situation. Since they were alone, the kwamis were out in the open, too.

"No doubt about it." Alya said.

"But I don't get it. _Why's_ he gonna fall?" Chloé asked.

"No clue, but I _know_ it's going to happen! I went into the future!" Alya claimed.

 _"Into the future?!"_ The girls and their kwamis said, minus Trixx.

"Yeah. Everything Alya experienced yesterday is happening again today!" Trixx said.

"That can't be!" Tikki said.

"No joke. The principal losing his speech, Adrien bragging about the burgers... Everything's happening identically to yesterday." Alya said.

"But how can that happen, Alya?" Marinette asked.

"I've seen this thing happening before in the past." Nooroo commented.

Chloé turned around and said, "I'm definitely feeling something really strong. It's like I'm having a premonition about the flowers for the clock."

"Yeah! When Nino fell on the clock, the flowers all died!" Alya said.

"If what you're saying is true Alya, then...!" Marinette began before her face blanched. "Nino's gonna get hurt! I don't want to think about it. I don't want _anyone_ getting hurt, especially today!"

The girls then heard a crash and the sound of something shattering nearby. No scream, though.

They came into the building and saw a girl had stopped in the middle of something, she was stuck in a moving pose and she'd dropped a vase with some flowers onto the floor. She wasn't moving at all, as if frozen in place.

"Hey, what's going on with her?" Chloé asked.

"What kind of pose is she in?" Alya asked.

Marinette went over to examine her and see what'd happened to her. She rubbed the girl's arms and snapped her fingers in front of her face, before saying, "Damn, she's stiff as a board."

"This isn't paralysis." Nooroo said as he also looked over the girl and touched a few parts.

"Then what might it be, Nooroo?" Pollen asked.

"Her time's been stolen from her!" Nooroo said.

"Wait, her _time's_ been stolen?" Marinette asked.

"Yeah, this is why she'd stopped in the middle of doing something like this." Nooroo explained.

"Who could do that, Nooroo?" Tikki asked.

"The only creature I can think of who's capable of this kind of thing is an akuma called Timebreaker." Nooroo stated.

"Timebreaker, huh?" Marinette said.

"Yeah! Timebreaker can steal others' time from them and use them to serve her own evil desires." Nooroo explained.

"Then there's _definitely_ a connection between my trip to the future yesterday and this Timebreaker girl." Alya said.

"Anything we can do, Nooroo?" Tikki asked.

"We need to find Timebreaker and neutralize her _stat!_ Otherwise these people will never get their time back and fade from existence! Look, it's already starting!" Nooroo said.

Sure enough, the girl was slowly fading away. It was extremely slow and very subtle, but it was happening.

"Then we'd better get going and start! But let's not forget that we gotta keep Nino from falling off the viewing platform today, too!" Chloé said.

"All before noon..." Marinette said.

The girls split up to accomplish this goal. Marinette was tasked with getting Nino to stay off the platform while Alya and Chloé went to track down Timebreaker and stop her.

Marinette pulled Nino aside and she tried to talk to him.

"So what's up, Marinette?" Nino asked.

"I... I was thinking... Do you think you could... _Not_ go up on the viewing platform with the principal today?" Marinette asked.

"What? Why?" Nino asked. "I didn't think anything was wrong with me doing that, dude."

"It's not that," Marinette began. "I just... Ah, I just noticed that one of the legs on the platform was looking a little shaky and unstable. I'm worried it might break."

"Really?" Nino asked.

Marinette gave a weak nod, hoping that'd be a good excuse.

"Why didn't you say so, dude? I'll just get the guys to fix it up." Nino said before running off.

"What, no! You shouldn't be up there _at all!_ " Marinette pleaded, trying to catch up to Nino.

Chloé and Alya were dashing up the stairs of the school to try and track down Timebreaker and put an end to her wrath. They came upon a pair of girls who were moving a desk, but apparently they were startled by something. They'd just about hit the floor with their rear ends when Timebreaker struck and stole their time from them.

"Yikes! Timebreaker got to these two!" Alya said as she pointed the girls out.

"No doubt about it!" Nooroo said.

"Damn it! Timebreaker's gotta be around here somewhere!" Chloé complained.

"There she is, up ahead!" Nooroo said, pointing out someone who was skating away from them.

"Let's go!" Alya shouted, and then the girls dashed off after the akuma, their kwamis in hiding.

They opened up a classroom door and walked in, only to see that the only person inside was another girl who was running while carrying a flower pot, but she'd gotten her time stolen.

"Alright, where'd she go?" Alya asked.

Just then, someone emerged from hiding behind the desks. She was shorter than the average girl her age. She wore a black helmet with two green eye shields over her eyes, the helmet had red spiked edges on the back of it, too. Most of her suit was black, but it had lime green patches on the waist, lower hips, upper legs, and below her knees. Glowing lime green ovals were below the back of her wrists and she had a glowing red hourglass on her chest. It was outlined in silver. She was wearing black rollerblades that had two white wheels and she had power bars on the sides of the wheels, graduating from red being the lowest amount of energy to green being the highest.

 _"AH!"_ The girls screamed, as they'd been caught off-guard. Timebreaker skated back a bit.

"Aha! Gotcha, Timebreaker!" Alya said.

"Hey, how'd you know my name?" Timebreaker asked, crossing her arms.

Nooroo flew forward and demanded, "What're you scheming this time?!"

"Well, well, well, if it isn't Nooroo, the most famous traitor in the akuma realm," Timebreaker said with a sneer, only to get a scoff from the kwami. "Everyone's talking about it, calling you "Nooroo, the Benedict Arnold of the akumas.""

"Love beats hate any day of the year!" Nooroo retorted.

"Hah! Dumbest thing ever." Timebreaker said with a laugh.

"Quiet! And give back the time you've stolen!" Nooroo demanded.

"Not gonna happen." Timebreaker laughed.

Nooroo flew after Timebreaker, but she skated to the side and slapped Nooroo with her palm. He froze dead cold and started to fade away.

Timebreaker looked at her wrist and said, "Well, that kwami didn't have much time to spare, no pun intended."

"What did you do?!" Alya demanded. "What's your plan?!"

"First off, gonna drain that damned love wave from that flower clock. After, I'm gonna steal all the time from everyone in the school, and erase everyone from existence, too." Timebreaker gloated.

"Stealing everyone's time, are you?" Chloé asked.

"Bingo," Timebreaker said. "The school and everyone in it is gonna run out of time. _Literally_."

"You little...!" Alya began.

"But there's something wrong. Someone figured out a way to leap into the future." Timebreaker said, crossing her arms.

Alya immediately thought, _'She means me! My phone_ was _on the fritz yesterday. Must've sent me into the future to show me what Timebreaker was up to!'_

"Eh, whatever," Timebreaker said with a shrug. "With all the time I've taken from these humans, nothing's gonna get in my way!"

"Not on our watch, Timebreaker!" Alya said, but Timebreaker skated out of the other door to the classroom.

Alya and Chloé glanced and nodded at each other, cuing their kwamis to come out.

 _"Cunning Wedding Flower!" "Growing Wedding Flower!"_

Timebreaker was skating outside the perimiter of the school, but she was blocked off by Queen Bee.

"Hold it, you!" Queen Bee said.

Timebreaker turned around only for Rena Rouge to jump down and block the other exit, saying, "Don't bother running!"

Rather than react, Timebreaker skated towards Queen Bee with the intention of tagging her and stealing her time, but the yellow-clad girl jumped out of the way. Timebreaker turned around and made a go for Rena Rouge, but her superior agility allowed her to move out of the way in a split second and jumped up against the wall.

 _"Bridal Change! Wedding Dress Transform!"_ Queen Bee and Rena Rouge shouted.

 _"Angel Illusion Rena Rouge!" "Angel Subjection Queen Bee!"_

Timebreaker kept skating after them to tag them and get their time from them, but the girls were nimble and evaded her tags. It wasn't that hard for Rena Rouge, being the most agile of the trio.

They cartwheeled, leaped, jumped, and swung around to avoid Timebreaker, and they smirked down at the akuma as they kept one step ahead of her.

"Damn it. You're fast!" Timebreaker said as she skated away.

She picked up a lot of speed and she skated up a propped-up piece of plywood. She had enough inertia and speed to get herself up to a second-story window and back into the school buildng.

"But once noon hits and the love wave is at its strongest, I'll have all the energy I need!" Timebreaker said before skating away.

"Get back here!" Rena Rouge said as she leaped into the window, Queen Bee following by zipping in using her top.

11:05AM and Marinette was freaking out. She was up in the building while Nino was outside, and she was about to panic.

"Oh, why won't he listen?!" Marinette squeaked.

"You _did_ come up with a legitimate excuse, though. Structural integrity's important in construction," Tikki said. "I think you were on the right track with that idea."

"Yeah, but that's not gonna matter if we don't take down Timebreaker..." Marinette began as she walked away and tried to find her friends. "Chloé! Alya!"

Marinette made it to the stairs when she nearly bumped into Timebreaker. She screamed a bit and jumped back, as did Timebreaker. On top of the flight, Queen Bee and Rena Rouge arrived.

Queen Bee shouted, "Marinette, watch it! It's Timebreaker!"

Marinette got serious and said, "Got it!"

 _"Lucky Wedding Flower! Bridal Change! Wedding Dress Transform! Angel Creation Ladybug!"_

Marinette transformed from her wedding dress to her battle suit and then took her yo-yo out.

"Three against one? No fair!" Timebreaker joked before breaking a window and leaping out of it.

The girls followed suit. Timebreaker was skating to escape, but Rena Rouge, Queen Bee, and Ladybug leaped in front of her and blocked all three points of exit, backing the akuma up against the wall.

"Nowhere to go, Timebreaker!" Ladybug said.

But a random arrow landed itself near Ladybug and blasted black energy around her.

"Dark Cupid!" Ladybug grumbled as the akuma started to descend from the air.

"Let them have their fun, Timebreaker. We can't lose anyway, so we should enjoy their game." Dark Cupid sneered.

Timebreaker made a break for it, and then Queen Bee said, "Hey, stop right there!"

Rena and Queen Bee ran off after Timebreaker, leaving Ladybug to fight Dark Cupid alone.

"Just you and me, Dark Cupid!" Ladybug said as she readied her yo-yo shield.

Timebreaker tried to turn a corner, but she was blocked by a bunch of stacked boxes and cans. Queen Bee blocked one way while Rena Rouge came out another door and blocked another path.

"You're done, akuma!" Rena Rouge said as she took out her flute.

"W-Wait, hang on a second!" Timebreaker said, waving her hands.

"No!" Queen Bee said.

"I'm serious. I won't steal time from anyone anymore. Akuma's honor!" Timebreaker said. "But... I _do_ have something to show you!"

Queen Bee and Rena Rouge were stunned as Timebreaker snapped her fingers.

In an instant flash, the group was in an office building in France, and they saw an older Alya sitting in a chair in the waiting room. Her hair was the usual length, but she was wearing more professional clothes and she was sitting and waiting in the room, as if hoping for something to go her way.

"Wait, where are we?" Rena Rouge asked.

"This is your future, vixen." Timebreaker said, addressing Rena Rouge.

"Hold the phone. My future?" Rena Rouge asked again.

"Yep. Eight years from now," Timebreaker said as she pointed out the adult Alya. "See? That woman is you in eight years. You wanna know the future, huh?"

"Well, yes, but..." Rena Rouge began.

"Rena..." Queen Bee said.

"I _do_ wanna keep watching, but if I knew how things were going to go, then all the excitement would be gone," Rena said before smirking. "What's the point in knowing the outcome of a scoop? Then fact-finding would be boring. No thanks, not interested."

"So you don't want to play this, huh?" Timebreaker said before snapping her fingers again.

This time they came upon a park.

"Wait, is that...?" Queen Bee asked as she saw two little girls in a sandbox, fighting over a smaller toy.

And one of those little girls was Chloé herself, only she was sitting on a blanket on the sandbox and she was yanking a toy out of the other girl's hand.

"Me and Celia!" Queen Bee said.

"Yep. This is your past," Timebreaker said. "And there's Celia, who moved away after the two of you had a fight."

The two girls were still fighting over the toy, playing tug-o-war with it, and Queen Bee looked at the events sadly, remorseful for her behavior back then. Little Chloé yanked the toy out of Celia's hands, blew a raspberry at her, then stood up and walked away while haughtily turning up her nose.

"You never got to see her again and give her back the toy," Timebreaker said. "You can't help but feel regretful for that, don't you? It's one of those aches in your heart, isn't it?"

Queen Bee said, "...I've grown up since then. I can't tell you how much I want to apologize."

"Here's your chance," Timebreaker said. "You can save your friendship with Celia and heal that wound."

"I... I want to say "I'm sorry..." So badly..." Queen Bee murmured.

"Think of it: the future and past will be yours to control if we join forces. So, how 'bout it?" Timebreaker said, trying to bait Queen Bee.

"It... It's tempting, Timebreaker..." Queen Bee admitted.

"Queen Bee!" Rena scolded.

Queen Bee shook her head and said, "No! I wouldn't be who I am today without that experience!"

"Oh well, can't blame a girl for trying." Timebreaker said as Rena Rouge and Queen Bee jumped back, ready to fight. The akuma snapped her fingers and they were gone in a literal flash.

Back in the present, Ladybug was blocking, jumping, and dodging all of Dark Cupid's arrows, not letting up for a second. But Ladybug was soon backed up against a tree and Dark Cupid held an arrow at the ready, right to her face.

Timebreaker came back to the present with Queen Bee and Rena Rouge in tow.

"You two okay? What happened?" Ladybug asked.

"Just taking a trip through time." Timebreaker said.

The girls snapped out of it before chasing after Timebreaker again.

"Noon's coming." Dark Cupid said, smirking.

Sure enough, the flower clock said 11:55. Only five minutes!

Ladybug ducked out of the way and followed after her friends.

"Don't bother. You're not gonna make it in time." Dark Cupid said.

Timebreaker was skating like the dickens with Queen Bee and Rena Rouge hot on her heels. Rena had her flute phone out and she was looking at the time. She said, "He's right! We're running out of time!"

She then played a few notes on her flute and shouted, _"Mirage Bombard!"_

Rena Rouge stopped Timebreaker in her tracks and knocked her off her feet by shooting the illusion pellets at her.

 _"Venom Spin!"_ Queen Bee shouted while spinning her top. The toy spun on its tip around Timebreaker before stinging her on the back, causing her Timebreaker to be paralyzed.

"Ladybug, you're up!" Queen Bee said.

"Right! _Ladybug Bridal Blast!_ " Ladybug shouted while shooting her white love waves at Timebreaker.

Timebreaker's expression became happy and then she flew off into the sky, saying, "I wish you three all the time in the world!"

Once she was gone, everyone started moving again, their time restored. Nooroo fell on the ground and watched as the girl ran around the classroom, the girls in the hallway were moving again, and everything else was back to normal.

 _"Miraculous Ladybug!"_ Ladybug shouted as she raised her yo-yo and a wave of magical ladybugs cleaned up all the mess that they made.

"I can't believe you angels took my victory at the last minute!" Dark Cupid complained before flying off.

Once the damage was reversed, the girls changed back and they were dashing for the schoolyard to stop Nino.

"Crap, the platform!" Marinette shouted as she caught sight of Nino and the principal walking up the stairs.

"Stay out of there, Nino!" Alya screamed.

But Nino and the principal made it to the top as soon as the chime hit noon, and the girls shouted in fear.

"Oh, there you are, Mariboo," Adrien said as he spoke to the girls. They turned around to look at Adrien, who was holding a toolbox and a hammer. "Good call about the viewing platform. One of the legs was shaking pretty badly, so we had to spend a lot of time fixing it up."

"W-Well I'm glad I was able to help..." Marinette weakly said, relieved that her lie turned out to be completely true.

Chloé and Alya smiled, satisfied with the outcome. They were watching as the principal and Nino went on and on about the flowers and how beautiful they were.

Alya looked at her necklace and her phone before giving it a kiss, thinking, _'Thank you!'_

"Case closed?" Chloé asked Marinette.

"Yep." Marinette said with a smile.

* * *

 **Yikes! Talk about being pressed for time, am I right? Anyway, Nino's safe, the ceremony went off without a hitch, and all's well that ends well for the girls!**

 **On the next episode of "Wedding Ladybug," fortune-telling becomes bad news when a water akuma named Syren shows up in town as an ally for Dark Cupid. She starts predicting nothing but bad futures for everyone! And then she targets classmate Juleka!**

 **And here's a preview for an upcoming episode! Let's see... How about episode 20, okay?**

 **"Leave that dress as is, okay?" Audrey said as she was directing her workers in the studio.**

 **"Yes, Mrs. Bourgeois!" One of the workers said.**

 **"Wow! These dresses are amazing!" Marinette squealed.**

 **She and Alya were looking at the dresses on mannequins that Audrey was working on, with some of the other designers working on them, too.**

 **"Alya, Marinette, perfect timing." Audrey said with a hand on her hip.**

 **"Good afternoon, Mrs. Bourgeois!" Marinette said.**

 **"You're here to help, aren't you?" Audrey said.**

 **"We sure are," Marinette said. "All I really know how to do is bake."**

 **"Don't talk like that, Marinette! You're an awesome designer!" Alya said as she patted Marinette's shoulders.**

 **"Alya's right, Marinette," Audrey said, upset that Marinette was putting herself down like that. "I know you've got the designing and sewing chops to help me out. I'm not relegating an exceptional designer like you to kitchen duty. That'd be ridiculous, utterly ridiculous. That said, these women are useless when they're starving."**

 **"Hey! That's cruel!" One of the designers said, and then everyone started laughing.**


	12. The Pretty Akuma's Love Fortunes!

**I know that bad omens can predict insane things will begin happening to someone, but** ** _this_** **is ridiculous! Today on "Wedding Ladybug," fortune-telling has gone completely awry! New akuma Syren is on the attack by predicting bad futures to everyone and then** ** _causing_** **them to happen.**

 **And then she calls upon Simon Says to posses Juleka to spread hatred! Can the Love Angels take her down?**

* * *

In the akuma realm, Mayura was in the throne room with Dark Cupid. But they weren't alone. There was another akuma in their company. She had dark pink skin with freckles on her face and elbows, her face had lighter pink skin and freckles, wearing a red and black swimsuit, and she had horns coming out of her light red hair. Her eyes were pinkish-red with pale blue sclera and her feet were connected to create a fin.

"I'd like to go to the human realm! Please, Queen Mayura!" She said, folding her hands and batting her eyelashes.

"You're being rude, Syren," Dark Cupid hissed. "I can't believe you're making demands of Queen Mayura!"

"Oh, Dark Cupid. I haven't forgotten about your struggle against the Love Angels. If I'd just gone there and done your job for you, you'd be humiliated. I'm not going there to mess around with your work." Syren said with a smile.

"Then _why_ do you want to go there?" Dark Cupid asked.

"Well, I hear there's a lot of activities to do and money to be made. You just gotta find the right thing," Syren said, a sweet smile on her face. Dark Cupid just gave her a suspicious look. "I promise I won't disappoint you, Queen Mayura!"

"Very well. Syren, go to the human world and destroy the love wave wherever you find it." Mayura said.

"Yes, _ma reine!_ " Syren said before teleporting to the human world, leaving a bitter Dark Cupid behind.

Back in the human realm, the girls were going about their usual business. Marinette decided to get a tarot reading from one of their classmates, a girl named Juleka. And Marinette asked about her future love life.

"Hm... the future of your love might prove to be harder than the average person." Juleka said as she pulled out a few cards.

"What do you mean by that?" Marinette asked, confused.

"The cards are saying that your destined love is right in front of you, but your current relationship with this person _and_ circumstances beyond your knowledge and control are keeping you from realizing that it's him, and it's keeping the two of you apart." Juleka said.

"Seriously?" Marinette asked.

"As long as the situation stays the way it is, your love may never blossom. Not even if you change romantic prospects because you're fated to be with this person." Juleka said as she put the card down.

Marinette sighed in annoyance and said, "Well, I guess that means I'll never find love."

"Don't get down about it, Marinette," Alya said as she and Chloé came in. "Hey Juleka, can you do my fortune next?"

"And me?" Chloé inquired.

"Hey, Alya, I thought you told me that fortune telling was a bunch of nonsense that a journalist couldn't rely on?" Marinette said.

"And I'm not being a hypocrite here. Just because I can't rely on it for my journalism doesn't mean I can't have any fun just having my fortune told at all," Alya said. "Right, Chloé?"

"Yep. Might as well enjoy yourself with this." Chloé said as she and Alya sat down to get their fortunes read by Juleka.

Marinette stood up and sighed while looking to her clutch where Nooroo and Tikki were hiding. She was sure the kwamis were loving this because she could hear giggling inside the purse. Marinette shook her head in annoyance.

A few minutes later, the girls were walking through the halls to get to their next class. But a drip in a faucet and general movement in the area seemed to be forcing Chloé and Alya to get on edge about something.

"Are you two okay? You're acting pretty weird." Marinette said.

"Just trying to stay careful," Alya said. "I mean... Juleka's fortunes _did_ say to watch out for accidents."

"And I've been jittery ever since she pulled out the cards about misfortunes that had water involved. Don't want my outfit ruined by getting wet." Chloé said.

"...And I thought _I_ was making too much of things." Marinette said with a shrug.

But as she turned around and went to keep walking in the hallways, she bumped into someone and she wound up falling down, and she landed on her ankle a little wrong.

"Ow... Sorry about that." Marinette said, rubbing her ankle.

The person she ran into scoffed and went on their way.

"Hey! You apologize to Marinette right now!" Chloé demanded, only for her to get ignored.

"Damn it, are you okay, girl?" Alya asked as she tried to help Marinette stand up.

"I should be okay - _ow!_ " Marinette squeaked as she put some weight on the ankle only to feel a sharp bout of pain from it. "I can't believe it hurts like this..."

"I hope it isn't twisted or broken. Let's hope for a sprain at worst. Come on, Marinette, let's get you to the nurse's office," Alya said as got Marinette to lean on her for support. "Let's go, Chloé!"

Chloé was still fuming about the student being rude enough not to apologize for bumping into Marinette, but taking care of her friend was more important. She took Marinette's other arm and they started walking to the nurse's office.

Once they got there, they sat Marinette down on the bed. Marinette took off her shoe to see that the area wasn't swelling, but it was still red in places.

"Doesn't look broken or anything," Marinette said as she tenderly touched the ankle, but she pulled back as if it burned. "Ow! Damn it, that hurts..."

"And once again, the nurse is AWOL," Chloé said, angry that the one in charge of medical needs wasn't in the room. "Ridiculous! Utterly ridiculous! I have half a mind to get daddy to-"

"Chill out, Chloé," Alya said, placating the blonde before going to gather up some pillows. "We'll go and hunt her down again. I think it goes without saying that Marinette's gotta stay here."

"Yep." Marinette said as Alya stacked up the pillows to help Marinette elevate her foot.

"We'll be back ASAP!" Alya said as she and Chloé left the nurse's office.

Marinette watched her friends leave before sighing sadly. Nooroo and Tikki came out and looked at Marinette in worry.

"I'm really not understanding that fortune... My destined love is in front of me, but my relationship with him right now isn't ideal so I'm oblivious to him?" Marinette murmured to the kwamis. "And what about that line about "circumstances beyond my knowledge and control?" And even if I give up on this guy and try a romance with someone else, I'm bound to him? That makes no sense."

"Relying on a fortune to get romantic advice? Sounds kinda stupid to me." A voice said and Adrien came out from behind the curtain. He missed Nooroo and Tikki flying back into hiding.

"Ack!" Marinette said as Adrien looked at her. "Adrien! Did you hear everything?!"

"Yeah," Adrien said. "You were being pretty quiet, but I couldn't help but overhear you. Besides, I was curious."

"Eavesdropping?! How rude!" Marinette said, still keeping her foot propped up.

"Sorry," Adrien said as he sat down next to Marinette. "But you really shouldn't rely on fortune-telling for love advice. No matter how accurate it is, you need to be proactive about finding love."

Seeing how polite he was being, Marinette said, "Wow, I didn't think you'd be this wise about it."

"What do you mean by that?" Adrien asked, quirking a confused brow.

"I just assumed that you were clueless and dense about romance and what makes someone happy in a relationship." Marinette said.

"Seriously?! You want dense? I'll show you dense!" Adrien said, indignant. He picked up a pillow and threw it at Marinette's head.

She ducked, but since she put some weight and pressure on her foot, she winced and whined in pain.

Realizing she was hurt, Adrien stopped and he sat back on the bed, saying, "You okay?!"

"I... I should be fine..." Marinette said, breathing.

"Geez, sorry, I didn't know you were hurt!" Adrien said.

"It's okay, I didn't say anything about it," Marinette said, trying to keep herself from crying. "I just... ACK!"

"Hey, let me bandage that up for you." Adrien said as he ran for the first-aid kit.

Chloé and Alya were making their way back to the nurse's office. They couldn't find the nurse, so the girls decided to do some first-aid for Marinette instead. Alya was carrying a bag that held a large zip-lock bag with ice and some water in it.

"Are you sure this is gonna work?" Chloé asked, a bit skeptical.

"Yeah," Alya said. "Nora tells me that ice, rest, elevation, and time are the best way to recover from injuries like that, even minor ones."

"Come on, we'd better hurry up before I call an ambulance for Marinette!" Chloé said as she and Alya started on a brisk jog to the nurse's office.

As they opened the door, they gasped at the sight they got: Adrien bandaging up Marinette's ankle and the two of them being civil with each other. Not fighting, nothing.

"WTH, girl?!" Alya shouted as she threw the bowl up in the air in confusion/delight. But the bag ruptured and all the ice and water started to fall.

"Girls, watch it!" Marinette shouted.

The bowl hit Alya on the head, causing her to stumble and fall onto Chloé, and then the two girls tumbled down and the water drenched the both of them.

"You two okay?!" Adrien asked.

"Fine... Accidents happen." Alya said.

"Ugh, I'm _freezing!_ And the water's ruining my makeup!" Chloé complained.

"Sorry..." Marinette said, wincing.

After the nurse checked her out, Marinette was given the all-clear. Her ankle wasn't broken or sprained. It was just hit really hard during the fall and it would hurt for a few days, so Marinette needed to go easy on the walking.

Marinette soon met up with Juleka so she could tell her about her accurate fortune-telling. The two girls were in the classroom, and Juleka was busy working on tuning up her bass guitar. The long-haired goth girl was quiet as always, and the rest of the band hadn't shown up yet.

"You'll never believe it, Juleka, but Alya had an accident today and Chloé wound up getting soaked! Your fortune was on point." Marinette said.

"That's nice, Marinette," Juleka murmured. "But honestly, I don't feel very sure of myself. I don't even know much about my own future."

"Like what?" Marinette asked.

"Juleka!" Rose said as she came into the room with the microphone. "The others are gonna be running a bit late. I'm gonna get some practice in, too."

Juleka gave a nod and just watched as Rose practiced her singing. It was a rough, high-pitched sound, like a death metal singer. Marinette didn't want to, but she had to cover her ears. Man, Rose was _loud_.

 _'Should've brought earplugs!'_ Marinette complained inside.

After a few vocal exercises, Rose ran over to Juleka and said, "How was that?"

Juleka didn't say anything, but rather gave the blonde a thumb's up. Smiling in approval, Rose chugged down lots of water from her sparkling, pink water bottle. Marinette loved pink, too, but even she knew when enough was enough.

Marinette noticed the blush on the part of Juleka's face that wasn't hidden by her bangs. She had a smile on her lips as she watched Rose gulping water down like crazy.

Marinette saw that there was a sweet vibe between the girls, and she could imagine a sunset on a beach, with the two of them on a date.

Rose stopped drinking when she saw her bottle was empty.

"Oh, out of water. BRB!" Rose said before jogging out of the room to go to the water fountain and refill her self-filtering water bottle.

"So, you and Rose are an item?" Marinette asked. "That's sweet!"

"Well, the two of us hang out all the time. Not sure about actually _dating_." Juleka admitted.

"But you _like_ Rose, don't you, Juleka?" Marinette asked.

Juleka gave a silent nod.

"Hey, since you're into fortune-telling, why not get your love fortune told by a pro?" Marinette suggested.

During the break period, Marinette told Chloé and Alya that she'd promised to go with Juleka to a fortune-teller. They went to a reputable fortune-telling stand that had a long line of people going in.

"This place _just_ popped up, but according to the reviews, the fortunes told here have a pretty high rate of accuracy." Marinette said as she looked at the reviews on her phone.

They saw the line of people that came from all walks of life to get their fortunes told.

"Popular place, huh?" Juleka said, quiet as ever.

"Yeah," Marinette said. "Let's get in line, shall we?"

Inside the booth, Syren was sitting at a table, wearing a cloak and hiding her face under a hood. She had tarot cards and a crystal ball on the table while the customer sat across from her.

"...And I _adore_ my boyfriend." The girl said.

"Love, huh? It's worthless." Syren said.

"What? Love, worthless?" The girl asked, surprised and devastated to hear that.

"If you want to be happy, you need to stop loving people. Understand?" Syren said.

"O... Okay..." The girl said sadly as she stood up and began to walk away. She started sobbing and then dashed out of the booth.

"I'm squishing the love waves left and right and not even breaking a sweat!" Syren giggled.

Juleka and Marinette were curious when the girl left the booth, crying.

"Another one?" Juleka murmured.

"Something's definitely off," Marinette said. "Everyone who's come out came out in tears."

"Next in line, please!" Syren called out.

"That's your cue, Juleka." Marinette said.

The long-haired girl gave a nod before going inside the booth to get her fortune told.

"So, there's this girl I like... Don't know if we're together or not..." Juleka murmured to Syren.

"Let's look into my crystal ball..." Syren said as the ball conjured up an image.

Rose was locking her arms with a boy. He was dressed in a nice suit, had a darker skin tone, hazel eyes, and hair combed back while a small black fringe was in front of his head.

"Oh my... Looks like your girlfriend is seeing a boy," Syren said, but Juleka was stone-faced at the sight of the image. "You're probably better off not loving people anymore."

"You've got Rose wrong," Juleka said, standing up. "I recognize that boy. She's a huge fan of Prince Ali of Achu and his charity work for children's hospitals. Otherwise, she's too much of a romantic to even _think_ of stepping out on me."

"Are you saying I'm full of crap?" Syren asked.

Juleka gave a quiet, firm nod before saying, "You don't tell fortunes to piss people off. You tell fortunes to help guide people in the right direction."

Syren smiled before saying, "You've got guts, talking to me like that."

She threw off the cloak and with an evil smile, she started to shed tears. The tears accumulated to the point that the water filled the room. Juleka grabbed her throat, unable to breath. She was struggling for air.

Syren giggled and said, "So, still feeling gutsy? Well, I have to admit that you struck me as a shrinking violet, but you can be brave when you want to. I like that. So, you're going to be working for me and helping me out, okay?"

Syren blew a bubble into her hand and put it over Juleka's head so she could breathe, and then she activated a summoning spell in the crystal ball.

Out of the energy appeared another akuma. He was bald, with dark gray eyes and pale periwinkle skin. It looked sickly. He was wearing a top hat that was bright green while the bottom of the bill was black and it had a purple ribbon on the crown. There was a black mask over his eyes, and the area near the eyes was indigo in color. His body suit was below the head, it it had a light gray high collar and front, a pattern that was a large black bow on the front of it, below the collar. The top left of the suit was green with a left glove in purple and it had a butterfly sleeve edge, while the bottom right of the suit was the inverse - purple with a green right glove and a green butterfly sleeve edge. The left leg started in the middle of the upper leg was green while the green right leg started below the knee instead.

"Simon Says, make this girl take orders from me, please!" Syren said.

Simon Says gave a nod and he leaped into Juleka's body, causing her to glow black for a second. What could be seen of Juleka's face, her eye was white and she had a red mark on her cheek and an evil smile. And the water in the room drained.

"Go and make every single human who talks of love dive into the depths of sorrow!" Syren said, ever smiling.

Marinette saw the water pooling out of the room, and then Juleka came out, wearing a cape and the smile.

"Juleka...? Are you okay?" Marinette asked as she watched Juleka radiate akuma energy.

Several of the people in line ended up collapsing from the exposure. Those that were still standing were looking on in confusion.

"Juleka?!" Marinette asked. Juleka smirked and held up a hand of cards, and they all had a black butterfly on them that said "akuma" underneath.

She then threw the cards while screaming. Marinette ducked and dropped her clutch, where Nooroo and Tikki were hiding. Meanwhile the black energy trailing from the cards hit one of the girls in line.

The girl woke up and she had the same tell-tale facial marks that signaled being possessed by akumas.

"Hah! Love's nothing less than a lie!" The girl said. "Gonna go dump that loser's ass!"

She then walked away.

"Okay... Something wrong. What's going on?" Marinette asked.

"Wish I knew." Nooroo said.

Marinette touched her earrings and brought up her tablet. She aimed the screen at Juleka and saw Simon Says inside her.

"No! It's Simon Says of the akumas!" Nooroo said, identifying the akuma inside Juleka.

"Thought so! Tikki!" Marinette said.

But before she could transform, Juleka ran out of the parlor.

"Damn it!" Marinette shouted before giving chase to her possessed friend. Screw her hurt foot, she had work to do.

Marinette followed Juleka all the way to the park and saw numerous happy couples everywhere.

 _"Je'taime, mon cher."_ A young man said to his girlfriend. The two of them were about to lean in for a kiss when Juleka appeared behind the bench and slapped a card on the woman's forehead.

Black energy blasted in her brain. She stood up and screamed, _"I HATE YOU, I HATE YOU, I HATE YOU!"_

She then scratched the man's face before walking away, leaving him in tears.

And it wasn't just that particular couple. Juleka was throwing her cards at every couple in sight, and all of the akuma energy caused the girls to grow hateful and started attacking their significant others.

Marinette caught up and saw what was going on.

"Alright, time to end this!" Marinette said. _"Lucky Wedding Flower!"_

Ladybug leaped into action and confronted Juleka, before saying, "Enough with causing this misery, Juleka!"

Just when she lunged at her though, powerful blasts of water came from the top of the fountain and blasted Ladybug, causing her to scream.

Out of the top of the fountain came Syren, who giggled and said, "Easy peasy."

"Hey, let me out!" Ladybug demanded as she tried to break the bubble that she was trapped in.

"You must be Ladybug. The love angel that's giving Dark Cupid a run for his money." Syren said.

"And you're...?" Ladybug asked.

"I'm Syren, the water akuma," Syren said, introducing herself. "You know, I wonder how Dark Cupid would feel if I gave you to him as a gift?"

"Hey! I'm not a trinket you can just buy and sell!" Ladybug angrily said as she continued to try popping the bubble, punching it, pushing it with her foot, trying to get her yo-yo to rupture it.

Syren soon got to the school, where everyone else was. They broke through the gates near the yard, and the explosion caused quite the stir. Juleka was out front while Syren was sitting on the bubble that held Ladybug.

"Let's see if the other Love Angels can't be drawn out. If so, I can bring all three of them to Dark Cupid!" Syren said, giggling with delight.

"Hey, who's that?!" Nino asked. He put down his headphones, meanwhile everyone on the fencing team was on guard.

"I hate _everyone in here!"_ Juleka screeched before throwing the cards. Everyone who was hit got knocked out.

Realizing there was trouble, Adrien shouted out, _"Everyone run for it!"_

Everyone who was standing by and watching ran for cover, while a card wound up pelting Adrien in the back and he collapsed to the ground, too.

"Adrien! No!" Marinette screamed, pounding on the bubble.

Chloé and Alya heard the commotion and they ran to see what was going on. The kwamis came out of hiding, too.

"What on earth?!" Alya shouted. They saw everything that was happening and then they immediately saw that everyone was down for the count, and that Ladybug was trapped in a bubble.

 _"Marinette!"_ The pair screamed. The girls gave each other a nod and then they went behind the wall.

 _"Cunning Wedding Flower!" "Growing Wedding Flower!"_

Juleka was laughing like a triumphant maniac, meanwhile Syren was sitting on the bubble, pleased with the work Juleka was doing. Or rather, what the akuma _inside_ Juleka was doing.

"Oh Simon Says, you're quite the akuma!" Syren giggled.

 _"Hold it!"_ The girls said as they stood back to back with each other and held their weapons out, ready to fight off this akuma.

"We're not gonna stand by and let you eradicate love!" Rena Rouge said.

"Yes! Letting that happen would be ridiculous! Utterly ridiculous!" Queen Bee said.

"So, you're the other two love angels? Nice to meet you," Syren said.

Ladybug shouted from inside, "Watch out! Juleka's been possessed, so don't hurt her whatever you do!"

"Got it, LB!" Queen Bee said, heeding Ladybug's warning.

But Juleka took advantage of the banter and threw two cards, but they landed at the angels' feet. The cards secreted black gunk, with some of it anchoring them to the ground. Then more gunk turned into rope-like strands and bound the girls's arms and legs to keep them from moving.

"Yuck! What _is_ this crap?!" Queen Bee asked.

"I can't move!" Rena Rouge complained.

"Finish them off, okay?" Syren asked her possessed minion.

Juleka walked over to them and took out a card. It turned black and then shifted into a whip.

Ladybug pulled a worried face and made a scared noise.

"Don't worry, I'm here!" Nooroo said, appearing out of nowhere.

"Nooroo!" Ladybug said with a smile.

Nooroo's wings started to glow and then he flew around the bubble a few times. The bubble popped, sending Syren to the ground and setting Ladybug free.

"Thanks, Nooroo! You're a blessing!" Ladybug said as she leaped in front of her friends, ready to take charge. "Juleka, please listen up!"

Juleka cracked the whip, but Ladybug caught it in her hand.

"Juleka, remember! You said that fortune-telling was meant to guide people who were confused and lost! Now you're making a hypocrite out of yourself by hurting people using that power!" Ladybug declared. "Try and remember, please!"

Ladybug turned her bouquet into a yo-yo and started spinning it, creating a rainbow love wave and bathing Juleka in its glow.

Juleka was stunned, unable to move. Her mind was flashing with memories of her and Rose together. Their constant band practices, sitting next to each other in class, talking about whatever struck their fancy (or rather, Rose prattling on while Juleka listened), helping out with charity work together, scrapbooking club, etc.

All the memories made Juleka go back to normal while mumbling out Rose's name. She smiled as she remembered the love between her and Rose.

But the job wasn't done. In agony from the love wave, Simon Says burst out of Juleka's body and materialized in front of the angels. He was complaining about the love wave.

"Ugh, that's gross!" Simon Says complained as he shuddered in disgust.

"Fight them off, Simon Says!" Syrian commanded.

Simon Says pulled out his deck of cards and said, "Simon Says surrender to Syren!"

A black and white picture of the girls kneeling in submission appeared on the card and then he threw it at them. Ladybug held the yo-yo up to block it and it bounced off and away.

Simon Says immediately knew that he had to take a different approach. He took up another card and he said, "Simon Says, make me grow bigger!"

The card pictured a silhouette of him growing to the size of a building, and then he hit himself with it. He grew to a towering height, and the girls were looking up at him in shock and fear, totally frozen in place.

He took out another card and said, "Simon Says, _die where you stand!_ "

His card showed a picture of a skull and crossbones and then he threw it at them, but a green shield flew in and sliced the girls' bindings. Rena Rouge and Queen Bee dodged out of the way while Ladybug ducked.

The shield hit the ground and then bounced back to Carapace, who was up in the air.

"Carapace!" Ladybug said.

"Dudettes, the only thing that can save people from hatred and darkness is love and courage! Keep fighting and don't stop!" Carapace said.

The girls gave a nod.

 _"Bridal Change! Wedding Dress Transform!" "Angel Creation Ladybug!" "Angel Illusion Rena Rouge!" "Angel Subjection Queen Bee!"_

The girls changed into their suits and then they shared a group fist-bump with each other. They drew their weapons and they got ready to fight.

"Alright, time to drown you where you stand!" Syren said as she summoned water from her hands and made to blast the angels.

Rena Rouge used her superior agility and outmaneuvered the water before taking out her flute.

 _"Mirage Bombard!"_ Rena Rouge shouted while playing the flute a few times. She shot her illusion pellets at the water blasts, causing them to fall apart and for the water to fall to the ground harmlessly.

 _"Venom Spin!"_ Queen Bee shouted. She released her top, it started spinning on the ground, and then it jumped up to chest-level with the akuma. The tip stung Simon Says in the back, stunning him.

"Ladybug!" Carapace shouted.

 _"Ladybug Bridal Blast!"_ Ladybug shouted as she spun her yo-yo and blasted a gargantuan beam of white love wave at Simon Says.

Exposure to the purification caused him to shrink down, and once it was over, he stood up straight with a big smile. He took out his card and said, "Simon Says, bright futures for you all!"

He then disappeared in a cloud of sparkles and flew into the air.

The girls turned to Syren and got their weapons out, before preparing to attack.

"If you three think I'm gonna give up, then you've got another thing coming. I'll swim off to safety for now, but I won't be gone for long!" Syren said before vanishing in a small water spout.

"Looks like we've got another akuma to deal with. As if Dark Cupid weren't bad enough." Queen Bee said.

"Nice work, all three of you." Carapace said.

"Thanks, Captain Turtle." Rena Rouge said with a flirtatious smile.

"Before we sign off..." Ladybug said as she raised her yo-yo into the air. _"Miraculous Ladybug!"_

The ladybugs flew everywhere, and everything that was damaged was reset. People were reunited with their lovers and all the damage was repaired.

"Well, I guess we can say once again..." Ladybug said as the girls did another three-way fist bump, and all three girls said, _""Case Closed" by the Love Angels!"_

The girls laughed happily as everything went back to normal.

Once break period was over, the girls met in their club room and decided to try their hand at tarot cards, too, especially after a few pointers from Juleka. The kwamis were out and about, too. Marinette picked out a card and saw a black butterfly and "akuma" written on the bottom.

"Oh no! Not the akuma card!" Marinette said, disappointed.

"Ooh, bad news, Marinette," Alya said. "But don't worry, there's another way to interpret this, isn't there?"

"Yeah, there is," Marinette said as she put the card down. "When it comes to love, you need to have faith in yourself."

"Duchess Marinette, your wisdom is infectious!" Pollen said, delighted.

"Yeah, you've got a good way of looking at this." Trixx commented.

"Yep," Marinette said as Tikki cuddled with her. "Everyone's gotta have faith and be proactive in love. Otherwise, nothing's gonna happen. Isn't that right, girls?"

The girls and kwamis all laughed and smiled with each other, ready to give their own fortune-telling a try.

* * *

 **Alright, looks like the girls' luck is turning around for the better, but now they've got another akuma to worry about!** **I wasn't sure if I should've used Simon Says or not for this one. Hope you like that I did. This is why I was asking about Juleka being likely to do tarot cards.**

 **Now, keep in mind the part where Juleka said "circumstances beyond your knowledge and control," because that's gonna be important later down the line.**

 **Next time on "Wedding Ladybug," Marinette winds up with a ticket to a Jagged Stone concert, but she can't enjoy herself when she winds up in the spot next to Adrien. But then as lucky as she's a ladybug, Marinette ends up** ** _meeting_** **Jagged himself! But things go south when he gets attacked by another one of Syren's goons while at school the next day!**

 **Preview time! This time we're looking at episode 23.**

 **"Wow! Nathaniel Kurtzberg is first place in the drawing category of the school art contest _again?_ " "I'm not surprised! That comic strip he drew up as his entry is professional-level stuff!"**

 **The framed piece was a Nathaniel's colored comic strip that showed a team of animal-themed superheroes defending the flower clock from the centennial ceremony from some evil creatures. The team's leader was a girl wearing a red jumpsuit. The frame had a large blue ribbon with gold trim on it and it said, "1st Place."**

 **A short, redheaded boy with long bangs that covered one of his turquoise eyes, wearing a red t-shirt, a grey dress jacket with the collar folded down, purple jeans, and wearing grey shoes.**

 **"Thanks. I really appreciate the praise," Nathaniel said, hugging his sketchbook closer to him and blushing a bit. "But there were a few flaws in the sketches that I didn't notice until it was too late, so I was a bit disappointed in my work."**

 **Near the sidelines, the girls were close to the crowd and they were talking about Nathaniel's success.**

 **"Once again, Nate wows the crowd with his drawings." Alya said.**

 **"He's been called "The Leonardo DaVinci of the 21st Century" from what I've been hearing around school." Chloé said.**

 **"Can't say I blame them for saying so. He's good." Alya said.**

 **"Check this out!" Marinette said as she approached her friends. She was also carrying a blue ribbon.**

 **"Nice one, Marinette!" Alya said. "You took first in Fashion?"**

 **"It'd be ridiculous, utterly ridiculous if they chose someone else to take first prize." Chloé said.**


	13. Akuma's Hard Riff

**Today on Wedding Ladybug, Marinette winds up getting a ticket to Jagged Stone's concert, but she gets stuck next to Adrien at the concert. But her luck turns out to be good as always when she gets to** ** _meet_** **Jagged Stone himself! But when he's visiting the girls at the school, Syren sends out one of her goons, Desperada, to attack him, thinking that he's got one of the Miraculous Something Four!  
**

 **Sorry this chapter took so long. I wanted to use Desperada, yet another akumatized guitarist, in this chapter. And you know how hit-and-miss the airing schedule for Miraculous Ladybug is!** **So, I conceded and decided to make something up instead for this one.**

* * *

One morning in the club room, Marinette was happily staring at the slip of paper in her hands.

"Ooh, I'm so lucky! Guess that's why I'm Ladybug!" Marinette said, Tikki just as delighted. Nooroo was off to the side, listening to his owner and fellow kwami.

"Yeah! Jagged Stone is your favorite singer, isn't he?" Tikki asked.

"He sure is! Today really started off well!" Marinette said.

Earlier that morning...

 _~Flashback~_

 _Marinette was eating breakfast in the living room with Tikki and Nooroo when her father came up from the bakery. The kwamis hid in her bag._

 _"Marinette, I have something for you," Tom said as he took out a ticket. "A man named Bob Roth came by and tasted some of our treats. He said it was so good that he gave me this ticket."_

 _Marinette immediately saw the profile of the performer on the slip and she stood up with delight. She screamed, "Is that a Jagged Stone concert ticket?!"_

 _"It sure is. And a reserved seat, too," Tom said as he handed the ticket to Marinette. "I'm too busy to go to the concert, so I thought you might like it."_

 _"Dad, this is the best!" Marinette said as she snatched the ticket. "Jagged Stone's my favorite!"_

 _"I know he is. I thought you might like this," Tom said. "Now I was only given the one, so I'm afraid you'll be going alone. Be careful, okay?"_

 _"Yes, dad, I'll be careful!" Marinette said with a smile._

 _~End of Flashback~_

"It really is too bad that there was only one ticket," Tikki said. "I'm sure Chloé and Alya would've loved to come with you."

"Yeah, I'm not sure what they'll think if I tell them." Marinette said, a little worried about her friends' reaction.

"I'm sure they'd understand," Nooroo said. "Knowing Chloé, she'd probably throw a fit and then pull some strings to get the best seats for all three of you."

The trio laughed at that comment, knowing how likely that'd actually be.

The door opened and then Chloé and Alya came in. Once they were in the privacy of their club room, Pollen and Trixx came out of their hiding spots.

"Whatcha laughing about there, Marinette?" Alya asked.

"I... Um, nothing." Marinette said, hiding the ticket behind her back.

"Well, whatever it is, it'll have to wait. We have a content development meeting for the blog!" Chloé said.

 _'If these two find out, they'll never let me live it down!'_ Marinette thought, trying to hide her little secret from the girls.

Once the meeting was over, Marinette was walking through the halls to get to the cafeteria to get her lunch. Her stomach was growling like nuts and she was urging to get some of the food the cafeteria was serving. Sure, she could've gone home for food, but she heard through the grapevine (Alya) that they were serving chicken marsala with grilled asparagus and whole wheat fusilli pasta.

But as she passed by the lockers, she saw someone out of her peripheral vision. It was Adrien, and he was at his locker. He opened it and out spilled numerous letters and presents. A few even fell on his head. They were all in different sizes, shapes, and colors and they were all addressed to Adrien. Handwritten, homemade, typed, store-bought, you name it, it was there.

"Wow," Marinette said as she approached Adrien. "You okay?"

"Yeah, I'm fine." Adrien said as he squatted down to help gather up the offerings. Marinette came over to help him out.

"Must be a pain being so popular." Marinette said as gathered up a small pile of letters.

Adrien gave a nod and said, "Yeah. It's a real nuisance. I never have time to answer everyone."

"Then don't," Marinette said. "Sometimes not responding is the best way to get them to stop."

"Hm... You have a point." Adrien said as Marinette took out a few small plastics bag she planned to recycle later. She put all the letters in one bag and the presents in another.

"Here," Marinette said as she handed the bags over to Adrien. "Hopefully you can figure out what to do about all this... attention."

"Thanks, Mariboo." Adrien said, winking before walking away.

Marinette still didn't like the nickname, but she murmured, "No problem."

"I didn't expect you to help him out like that," Tikki said. "You don't care for him that much, right?"

"No, I don't, but that doesn't mean I'm gonna rub things in his face when he's troubled," Marinette said. "Let's just get to the cafeteria. We need to eat."

"Oh, please make sure to get any cookies if you can find them!" Tikki said.

"And some fruit for me, too, please!" Nooroo requested.

"Sure thing, you two," Marinette said. "I'll be sure to snag those on the way."

Marinette went off to the cafeteria in order to feed herself and her two kwamis, and to snag some food for Trixx and Pollen.

Later that night, Marinette had a pile of different outfits on her bed, and her kwamis were floating around, helping her out.

"Damn... This is so hard." Marinette said.

"What've you been doing since dinner, Marinette?" Tikki asked.

"Just trying to figure out the perfect outfit to wear to the concert." Marinette explained.

"You shouldn't overthink this, Marinette," Nooroo said. "You're not going on a date or anything."

"You're right, Nooroo," Marinette replied in relief. "But still, I wanna go in something that I'm comfortable with! You know what that means, right?"

 _"Fashion show!"_ The trio said.

The kwamis were the judges while Marinette was the model. She tried on outfit after outfit, different shirt-pant-shrug combinations, accessories, and even hairstyles. She was _really_ getting into it, switching clothes in the blink of an eye without breaking a sweat.

"No! Not quite. Almost there. Trying too hard. Wait, this isn't a formal dance!" Marinette said as she kept switching her clothes and accessories, including a few dresses.

"Wow," Nooroo said, bewildered at the sight of Marinette's vigor. "If she fought the akumas with passion on this level, then we wouldn't have any problems."

Tikki giggled and replied, "Yep!"

"Ugh, I just can't choose an outfit!" Marinette said as she fell to her knees in frustration.

The next day at the venue, the Parc des Princes, people were lining up and waiting to get into the stadium for the concert. People were in the stands cheering, wearing all kinds of merchandise, paint on their faces, etc. It was a huge number of people.

Syren was hiding nearby in a human disguise, handing out free Jagged Stone merchandise. She knew that a large gathering of humans would only increase the chances of the love wave amplifying. And she was there to stop it.

"Free Jagged Stone flags, shirts, and more! Come and get it!" Syren shouted as people came and gathered up the merchandise like it was a rare gemstone that offered itself up.

"Perfect. I knew this would be fun." Syren said as she saw how people ravaged the supply for toys and trinkets.

As people were cheering and singing in the stands, Syren shuddered. She looked at the stadium where the singing and noise was coming from, and she scowled.

"Ugh... This feels a little too much like the love wave." Syren murmured.

Jagged Stone was rocking out on the stage while the screens around the arena showed close-ups of the stage for the people who couldn't see from their seats. Marinette was at her seat in the stadium and watching the concert from the big screen. She was wearing a Jagged Stone t-shirt, but she wore matching purple pants and shoes. She also switched out her red hair ties for purple ones and was wearing a charm bracelet she bought from the booth.

"This is a great seat!" Marinette said over the music. "Dad really lucked out!"

She kept listening to Jagged rock out on the guitar and sing his voice out. Everyone was cheering in the stands, and so was Marinette.

Nooroo and Tikki peeked out of Marinette's clutch. Nooroo said, "Wow, this is a lot of fun. But I wonder how anyone can stand the loudness in here."

"I think it varies from one to another," Tikki giggled. "But the sound isn't so bad inside the bag."

"Speaking of which, the two of you shouldn't be out like this," Marinette said as she pushed the kwamis back in the bag. "Oh, it'd be a miracle to meet Jagged Stone!"

"Tell me about it! Listening to his recordings are great and all, but seeing him live is even better!" A familiar voice said from next to Marinette.

Marinette turned around and she saw Adrien in the seat next to her.

"What?! Adrien?!" Marinette said, flinching in surprise at seeing Adrien.

He turned and saw Marinette and he spluttered out, "Mariboo?! What are you doing here?!"

"Enjoying Jagged Stone's concert," Marinette said simply. "I'm sure you're here for the same thing, aren't you?"

"You're right," Adrien said, rubbing the back of his neck. "But I didn't know you were a big fan of Jagged Stone."

"Right back at you." Marinette said with a smile.

"But the fact that you're in the seat next to me... Was that on purpose?" Adrien teased, wiggling his eyebrows knowingly.

"No, this is strictly a coincidence," Marinette said, blushing at the implication Adrien was making. "Dad got a ticket from one of the customers and since he's busy, he gave it to me. I would've invited Alya and Chloé to come along, but I only had the one ticket."

"Well, you certainly dress nicely for an event like this," Adrien said, looking at Marinette's clothing. "You made that purple shirt work with your usual outfit beautifully, while still sticking to your personal style. It's great."

"Thanks, Adrien," Marinette said with a big smile. "Hey, I know we tend to fight a lot, but since we're here at the concert, why not just hold a temporary truce and enjoy ourselves?"

"Sounds good to me." Adrien said. The two of them shook hands.

The music was turned up another notch as Jagged belted out another few phrases with intensity. Everyone in the stands cheered and kept singing along. There were penlights, plaque cards that had his face, and so much more.

In fact, Marinette and Adrien got _so_ into the music that they wound up in an impromptu dance with each other, and Adrien even did an underarm turn with her. But once they realized what they were doing, they shouted in surprise, their faces red, and the jumped out of each other's arms.

"What were you doing?!" Marinette said in an accusatory tone.

"Hey, don't tell me you didn't get into the music, too!" Adrien spat back, also red in the face.

"Of course I got into it." Marinette argued back.

The two of them turned their backs to each other before refocusing their attention to the concert.

Up on one of the screens stood Syren, who was watching everything from above.

"Well, the love wave's pouring out towards that man on the stage down there," Syren said as she watched the crowd going wild for Jagged Stone. "Find all people who are in love and dispatch them. Find anyone _capable_ of loving and eradicate them. For so long as love exists, those of us with hearts filled with animosity and hate will never know any peace. Time to destroy the love wave! On Queen Mayura's orders!"

Syren raised her hands and generated hateful energy before blasting it into the audience.

It didn't possess _everyone_ , but people who'd gotten merchandise from Syren were definitely infected. The people grew red marks on their cheeks and their eyes were solid white.

"What's so good about Jagged Stone?!" "Boo! Go home, Stone!"

"What the hell?!" Jagged asked as he stopped singing at the increasing booing in the crowds.

"What's going on?! Stop it, everyone!" Adrien shouted.

"Yeah! Why are you all booing Jagged Stone?!" Marinette asked.

Nooroo peeked out and said, "There's an evil presence nearby!"

"An akuma's here?" Tikki asked.

"You can bet on it!" Nooroo said.

"Time for this fan to take one for the star!" Marinette said before dashing off.

"Hey, Mariboo?! Where are you going?!" Adrien shouted after her.

"That's of no consequence to you, Adrien!" Marinette shouted back.

"...Maybe I went too far, teasing her about winding up next to me on purpose?" Adrien said with a shrug.

Marinette ran down the stairs in the stadium and looked around to see if anyone was in the entryways. Luckily, the coast was clear.

"Good, we're alone," Marinette said as Tikki came out of her purse. "Time to send that akuma packing! _Lucky Wedding Flower!"_

Outside, Syren was smiling pleasantly at the sight of the hatred going on in the stands and Jagged Stone going silent. But she gasped when she caught sight of Ladybug running through the stadium in her dress. Realizing that she'd get caught, Syren ducked out of hiding.

Ladybug changed her bouquet into a yo-yo and zipped her way up above one of the monitors. She thought that she'd be able to radiate her love wave to more people if she were at a higher vantage point.

Ladybug started spinning her yo-yo and used her love waves to calm everyone in the stadium down. As the rainbow waves bathed the audience, everyone's expressions changed back to normal and it got quiet.

Everyone started apologizing to people for the commotion, and then the show went back on track.

"That's good," Ladybug said. "Now to find that akuma and chase her off!"

Ladybug took her yo-yo out and zipped to another part of the stadium.

Syren said, "Damn! That meddlesome Ladybug! She went and ruined everything!"

The concert came and went and then the stadium was empty of people. It was quiet, the stage had been dismantled, and everyone was gone. Marinette stood in near the entry to the field, looking around. Nooroo and Tikki were out in the open, too.

"Looks like that akuma's gone. I couldn't find it anywhere." Marinette said.

"You're right. I can't sense any akuma presences." Nooroo said.

Marinette sighed, dejected, and began crying a little bit. She said to the kwamis, "Crap... I was _so_ looking forward to this concert, and I had to miss it because of some stupid akuma! This is the worst."

Tikki looked at her owner.

The group went back to walking around the stadium, lost. They were trying to find their way out.

"And to add insult to injury, I don't know where the exit could be," Marinette said as she came to a door. "Things can't get much worse, can they?"

"Don't talk like that, Marinette. Look, maybe this is the exit?" Tikki asked.

"Maybe you're right," Marinette said as she put her hand on the door handle. "Only one way to find out, though."

Marinette opened the door and she walked inside only to see a locker room.

"Nuts," Marinette said before seeing another door in a similar style. "Well, let's see about here."

Marinette opened the door only to see steam billowing out. She saw a silhouette of a man on the floor... And from what she _could_ see, he was naked.

 _"EEEK!"_ Marinette screamed, covering her eyes and turning away. _"Sorry! I didn't knock! I didn't know anyone was in here! Hell, I didn't even know this was a shower room! I'm so sorry!"_

"Hey, what's going on?!" A man with black hair with dyed purple tips, a short, black beard connected to his mustache, and pale green eyes said.

"Huh?! Jagged?!" Marinette said as she got a good look at the man she walked in on by mistake.

Once the steam cleared and Jagged got dressed (with Marinette keeping her eyes covered), the two of them started looking around on the floor for something.

"Must've fallen somewhere around here. Sorry for draggin' you into helpin' me out." Jagged said to Marinette.

"Don't worry about it, Jagged. I'm constantly misplacing things, too, so I know how to find them," Marinette said, while thinking, _'I can't believe I'm actually TALKING to Jagged Stone! *Squeal!*'_

"Marinette!" Tikki whispered. Marinette saw that she and Nooroo found a pendant necklace on the floor under a bench. The necklace was a simple black thread with a purple gemstone in the center. It sparkled in the light.

Marinette picked it up and said, "Is this it, Jagged?"

"Oh, that's exactly it! That's good," Jagged said as Marinette handed the necklace back to him. "Thanks a bunch... Er..."

Realizing that he didn't know her name, Marinette smiled and said, "Marinette. My name's Marinette Dupain-Cheng."

"Thank you so much, Marinette," Jagged said as he looked at the necklace in his hands. "Y'know, there's quite the story to this pendant."

"I'd love to hear it." Marinette said.

"Glad," Jagged said with a chuckle. "When I was first starting as a musician, my mother gave me this pendant as a way to wish me "good luck.""

 _Jagged was tuning up his guitar and working on some sheet music. As he strummed his guitar, the sound that came out was_ NOT _satisfactory. He shook his head and twisted his pinky in his ear to stop the ringing in his ear._

 _He sighed in frustration before looking at the pendant._

 _"Whenever I got frustrated or just wanted to rage quit, I'd look at the pendant and remind myself that I couldn't give up."_

 _He put the pendant back in his shirt and continued to play again._

Marinette listened intently at his story, because she understood exactly what a gift with a mother's affection truly meant.

"A present that's filled with the love of someone's mother is the most precious thing ever, huh?" Marinette said, remembering her mother's ring that she had.

Jagged nodded in agreement.

Outside the stadium, Adrien was waiting near the car, and he was looking around for Marinette.

"Damn it, Mariboo... Where'd you get to?" Adrien asked aloud. "I wanted to bring you back home to apologize for teasing."

There was a honking sound coming from nearby, and then a shout, _"Adrien!"_

Adrien's eyes went wide when he saw Marinette was waving at Adrien while sitting shotgun in a purple convertible, and Jagged Stone was driving it. In the back seat was a woman with dark skin, purple hair and had a pen and clipboard in hand.

 _"Seeya! Bye!"_ Marinette said, waving at him before sitting back down in her seat.

"What the hell?! Jagged Stone?! How's that possible?!" Adrien asked, aghast at the sight.

Up on a nearby fountain, Syren emerged.

"Hm... That man wears a pendant, and his very presence triggers love waves from hundreds or thousands of people... Maybe..." Syren began, thinking.

"Maybe it's one of the Miraculous Something Four!" A guitar-shaped akuma said from behind Syren.

"Then all I gotta do is steal it." Syren said, still chirpy as ever.

"Hey, Marinette, still have some time?" Jagged asked as he drove the car.

"No, I don't have a curfew, why?" Marinette asked.

"Jagged's pretty impressed with your style," Penny Rolling, Jagged's assistant, said from the back seat. "I don't think I've seen those clothes in any stores before."

"Minus the t-shirt, I made this outfit myself." Marinette said.

"Well, it's lovely, Marinette," Jagged said. "Why not show me more of your creations back at the hotel? Staying at Le Grand Paris."

"Oh, that's Chloé's place!" Marinette said with a smile.

Jagged brought Marinette to the hotel room and he opened the door.

"Fang, daddy's home!" Jagged called out.

"Oh, you have a dog?" Marinette asked, smiling at the idea of meeting a dog.

"Oh no, not a dog. Here he comes." Penny said.

Out of the bathroom came a crocodile with a collar on and he had his tongue sticking out and his tail was wagging, just _like_ a dog. Marinette screamed and slammed herself against the wall.

But Fang just walked up to her and rubbed his face against her leg. Seeing that the reptile was pretty tame, Marinette settled down a bit.

"This is a new friend. Marinette Dupain-Cheng." Jagged said as he pet Fang like a dog.

Marinette was a little bewildered at the sight of a pet crocodile, but she knew stranger things have happened in the world. In her case, becoming an angel and fighting off akumas all the time were only two she could name.

"N... nice to meet you, Fang," Marinette said before petting Fang. She was able to relax. "I... Wasn't expecting a crocodile."

The rest of the weekend came and went uneventfully. No akumas, no trouble at the bakery, just Marinette spending time with Jagged Stone, Fang, and Penny. She even got to make him a pair of sunglasses that he absolutely loved.

The following Monday at school, everyone was in front of the building. Teachers and staff, but mostly students. Marinette made a welcome banner and she was standing at the front of the crowd along with Chloé and Alya. All three girls were holding the banner.

"You can't be serious, Marinette. Jagged Stone's _seriously_ coming today?" Nino asked.

"Yep," Marinette said with a nod. "He and I actually became friends over the weekend."

"I'm calling shit on that," Alya said to Marinette. "What do you think, Chloé?"

"I've seen Marinette and Jagged hanging out at the hotel. She can't be lying. But what's so utterly ridiculous is that Marinette went to the Jagged Stone concert and didn't invite _us!_ " Chloé said.

"I only _had_ one ticket..." Marinette sheepishly said in defense. She then heard a car horn out in the distance. Recognizing Jagged Stone's convertible, she smiled. "He's here!"

The car pulled over on the sidewalk and then Jagged Stone came out. He was wearing his usual suit, but he was wearing sunglasses in the colors of the French flag, had the Eiffel Tower shapes over each eye, and they had holes in them.

Once he was out, everyone in the crowd began cheering and Alya and Chloé were astonished at the sight.

 _"Girl!"_ Alya said, snagging Marinette by the shoulders; they both let go of the banner. "You _can't_ have befriended Jagged Stone _without telling us!_ "

"Told you Marinette wasn't lying." Chloé said with a haughty snicker.

"It all happened so fast..." Marinette said.

Mr. Damocles came out of the building and approached Jagged.

"Mr. Stone." Mr. Damocles said as he held his hand out to shake Jagged Stone.

"You're the principal, eh?" Jagged Stone said. "Nice to meet ya."

"The honor is mine. I'm happy you'll be holding an after-school concert for the students." Mr. Damocles said.

"Well, it was Marinette's idea," Penny said as she came out of the car. "She was feeling guilty that she couldn't bring her best friends to the concert, so she asked Jagged if he could do a surprise concert here after school was done for the day."

"You did that for us, Marinette?" Chloé asked.

Marinette gave a nod.

"Oh, you're the best, girl!" Alya said. The trio of girls hugged and the students around them cooed and awed happily.

Adrien was quietly fuming in the background, thinking, _'_ _Why's everyone getting so worked up?_ _I'm a fan of Jagged Stone too, but_ this _is crazy!'_

As the rest of the school day went on, Jagged Stone was in a locker room on the top floor of the building. He was getting changed into one of his stage costumes. He'd sent Penny off to take care of things for the concert, as usual.

"What would I do without Penny?" Jagged said as he put on one of his jackets.

Out of nowhere, the guitar akuma pounced onto Jagged, shouting, "I see you, music-man!"

Jagged shouted before being tackled to the ground on his back, and he looked up at his attacker. The akuma demanded, "Hand over the pendant or die!"

"What are you?!" Jagged asked, confused about the current happenings.

"Who cares? Just hand over the pendant!" The akuma demanded again.

Jagged Stone punched the akuma before saying, "No way!"

The akuma blasted some energy, but Jagged dodged it effectively. He ran to the window, opened it, and took off his pendant.

"What do you think you're doing?!" The akuma asked.

Jagged threw the pendant out the window, only for the akuma to possess him. Jagged groaned, trying to resist the possession, but soon his cheeks got red marks and he smirked while his eyes became white.

Outside, Marinette held the pendant up, showing Chloé and Alya the jewelry piece. The pendant had fallen on her head and then onto the ground, and Marinette picked it up, curious.

"Hang on... This is Jagged's pendant." Marinette said.

Just then, the aforementioned rock star came out of the building, his guitar in hand, and smirking at the group.

"Jagged?" Marinette asked before putting a finger to her earrings. Her tablet screen came up and she used it to scan Jagged. Sure enough, there was an akuma inside. "An akuma's possessed Jagged Stone!"

"Uh oh!" Alya said.

"Hand over that pendant little girl. It's mine!" The possessed Jagged said, pointing at Marinette.

He then played a hard riff on his guitar and giant music notes that were infused with akuma energy were shot at the girls. They screamed, ready to dodge, when out of nowhere, Adrien grabbed the treble clef and held it as it squirmed in his hand.

"Wow! I caught a note from Jagged Stone... Kinda weird." Adrien said.

"Let go of that thing, Adrien! It's filled with akuma energy!" Marinette screamed.

"Huh?" Adrien said. But it was too late. The energy in the note washed over Adrien. His pupils and highlights in his eyes faded away and then he fell backwards.

"No! Adrien!" Marinette shouted.

She looked up and saw Jagged Stone smirking while holding his guitar out to play more.

Marinette looked at the girls and they all gave a nod. They made themselves scarce and ran for cover.

The possessed Jagged played another hard riff on the guitar and the magical notes washed over the students, causing them to scream and scatter in fear.

The girls found cover behind the school. The kwamis came out of hiding, and then Marinette said, "Time to stop those sour notes! Let's go, girls!"

 _"Lucky Wedding Flower!" "Cunning Wedding Flower!" "Growing Wedding Flower!" "Bridal Change! Wedding Dress Transform!" "Angel Creation Ladybug!" "Angel Illusion Rena Rouge!" "Angel Subjection Queen Bee!"_

Back outside, Syren appeared and asked, "Dynamics, what happened to that piece of the Miraculous Something Four?"

"That girl ran off with it." Dynamics, the named akuma said.

"Don't stand around, go find her!" Syren ordered.

"Don't bother! We're right here!" Ladybug said as she and her team stood back to back with each other and stood proud in the face of this akuma.

"You have some nerve, showing up again! Dynamics, show them the power of an akuma's hard riff!" Syrian ordered.

The akuma-possessed guitar player shred another note on the guitar and the angels blocked the notes that were coming with their weapons. Ladybug stepped forward and pulled up the pendant.

"Look at this, Jagged! This pendant that your mother gave you! The one that you said is filled with good luck and with your mother's feelings! You'd never attack with _this_ in front of your face, would you?" Ladybug said, stopping Jagged in his tracks.

Ladybug took out her yo-yo and started spinning it, bathing Jagged in its love wave.

Jagged was stepping back and writhing in agony from the exposure, and soon Dynamics was forced out of the superstar, complaining, "AH! I can't take this love!"

"The love wave is nothing to be scared of!" Syren declared as she blasted black akuma energy into her minion.

He then grew to the size of a stereotypical mega monster in a Power Rangers episode.

"Queen Bee! Rena Rouge!" Ladybug said. "Get to it!"

 _"Got it!"_ Ladybug's cavalry said, ready for action.

 _"Venom Spin!"_ Queen Bee shouted while letting her top loose. It spun on the ground around Dynamics and it was about to hit the target, but Dynamics played more notes on the guitar and blasted notes at the girls.

 _"Mirage Bombard!"_ Rena Rouge shouted, playing notes and firing pellets at notes. The notes all shattered on impact and fell harmlessly onto the ground. Queen Bee's top leaped onto Dynamics from the back and stabbed him, stunning him in place.

"Ladybug, he's all yours!" Queen Bee said.

"Right! _Ladybug Bridal Blast!"_ Ladybug shouted while blasting a large white love wave at the giant akuma.

His expression softened and then he flew off into the air, happy and calm.

"Damn it! I'll remember this, Love Angels!" Syren said before vanishing off.

Ladybug held her yo-yo up and said, _"Miraculous Ladybug!"_

As always, magical ladybugs washed over the damaged areas and repaired everything.

"What a relief..." Marinette said as she held the pendant up for the girls to see.

"Why'd you think that Syren was so convinced that this pendant was one of the Miraculous Something Four?" Rena Rouge asked.

"I'm thinking that the pendant gives off some super powerful love waves that mimic ours, in response to Jagged's love for his mom." Ladybug suggested.

"Hey, I was thinking the same thing!" Queen Bee said.

Ladybug and Rena Rouge gave their bee ally a deadpan glare before laughing loudly and joyfully at their victory.

Once everything settled down, the students at the school were in the courtyard for the concert. Jagged was up on the makeshift stage and playing on his guitar. Down in the crowds, the girls were cheering for Jagged Stone, absolutely delighted for the chance.

The concert was just coming to a climax and Jagged started throwing more t-shirts and merchandise out to the students. The girls caught a few things and started cheering and jumping in delight.

Adrien kept on missing catches and merchandise. Marinette, seeing this, said, "Adrien, man up and catch something!"

Chloé and Alya looked at Marinette in surprise, and then she covered her mouth when she realized what she said.

"Mariboo?" Adrien said, while thinking, _'You're cheering for me?!'_

As a smile graced his face, a bundled T-shirt and a pair of glasses were thrown at him. It knocked Adrien in the face and he fell on the ground.

"Adrien!" Marinette shouted as she squeezed through the crowds to find him.

"W... Well, I caught something." Adrien chuckled as he held up a shirt.

Marinette laughed in response, smiling with joy.

* * *

 **Coming up on Wedding Ladybug, Syren's back and she's after Marinette's mother's ring! And once that's taken, Tom tells Marinette a story about her mother that sends shock waves through her system. As for her and Adrien, they'll get some special moments together, but that's not gonna count for squat if Ladybug can't take down Syren!**

 **And can I get more than just two comments per chapter, please? Besides, like I said earlier, the more reviews I get, the better. Speaking of reviews, think you guys can read and review "Affianced to an Akuma," please?**

 **Preview time! How about, say... episode 19?**

 **Chloé, still in her ghost costume, was sitting on the tombstone and waiting for more people. Pollen was out in the open and they were munching on some fruit.**

 **"Honestly, where _is_ everyone? They just up and vanished!" Chloé complained. **

**"Quite impolite, isn't it, my queen?" Pollen said.**

 **"Yes. It's _ridiculous. Utterly ridiculous_ ," Chloé said, standing up. "Come on, Pollen. We shouldn't stand around here if there's no one to scare." **

**Pollen started flying after her owner as Chloé took a little walk to stretch her legs. The kwami-angel pair soon came upon a statue. The statue depicted a woman wearing robes and had long, flowing hair.**

 **"Wow... This must be a goddess statue," Chloé said, and then she noticed there were many more statues around, all showing different people. "Is this something out of Greek Mythology or something?"**

 **"My queen, look at this!" Pollen said as she pointed out a large stone slab to Chloé's right. The slab was a giant tombstone and it pictured another beautiful woman with long hair.**

 **Chloé's Miraculous started glowing, and Pollen's eyes did, too.**

 **"Pollen, what's going on?!" Chloé asked.**

 **Sparkles fell from the face of the woman on the stone and they fell on the stone slab on the ground. As if something activated it, the door opened and radiated a rainbow colored light.**

 **"What the hell?!" Chloé shouted when she saw what was inside the opened slab: a stone stairwell.**

 **"Think it might have something to do with the Miraculous Something Four, Pollen?" Chloé asked.**

 **"Only one way to be certain, my queen." Pollen said as she and Chloé stared at the stairs.**


	14. Stolen: Ring of Love!

**Today on Wedding Ladybug, Syren's back, but this time she's after Marinette's mother's ring, and she steals it with success! Then a distraught Marinette listens to a story about her mother from her dad, and it throws her for a loop! And a concerned Adrien decides to step in and help, only to wind up getting caught in the crossfire between akumas and angels yet again... And reveals something** ** _different_** **about him.**

* * *

 _In a beautiful church in Paris, Marinette was wearing her other's bridal gown with her hair down, and was standing in front of the priest at the altar. Next to her was the silhouette of a man who'd she'd exchanged marriage vows with. They already had their legal ceremony at city hall with Mayor Bourgeois as the officiant, and now they were holding another one for their spectators, including friends and family._

 _"Marinette, will you please take this ring?" The groom requested as he held out the rose quartz ring that Marinette received from her mother._

 _"I will." Marinette consented as she let the groom slip the ring on her left hand._

 _The two of them were slowly leaning in for a kiss, when..._

 _The church doors flew open with a loud bang and someone shouted, "Stop right there!"_

 _Marinette and her groom turned to the doors and Marinette asked, "What's going on?! Why'd you cut in like that?!"_

 _"Because I can't approve of this wedding!" A familiar voice said and the light changed to reveal Adrien._

 _"Ugh!_ Just _when I was about to be married to my soulmate till death do us part, dumb ol' Adrien has to go and ruin it!" Marinette complained, crying in disappointment._

 _"That ring on your finger, Marinette!" Adrien said, pointing to the bride. "That isn't yours, is it?"_

 _"Well, no... This ring belonged to my mother, and she gave it to me before she passed away." Marinette said, holding up the ring to be seen._

 _It started fading away. In shock, she said, "Hold on! Mom's ring!"_

 _It completely vanished, and that ended the scene._

"No... No, mom's ring... It's vanishing from my hand... NO!" Marinette murmured, still half asleep.

"Marinette, wake up," Tom said, shaking his daughter awake. "You're only having a bad dream."

Marinette's eyes fluttered open and then she sat up in her bed. Looking at her hands, she saw the ring fingers were bare and then she started crying, saying, "NO! I really _did_ lose mom's ring!"

"I don't remember you ever wearing Sabine's ring to bed with you." Tom commented, calming Marinette down.

Once she stopped her crying, she got out of bed, ran down the stairs and opened one of her drawers. It held the box that had her mom's ring in it. She opened the box and lo and behold, the ring was there.

"Oh, phew... It's still here. You were right dad, it was only a dream." Marinette said, smiling in relief.

In the akuma realm, Syren was being subjected to harsh punishment at the hands of Mayura. On the floor, she was being electrocuted by akuma energy, the intent of her demise being obvious.

"F... Forgive me, Queen Mayura, I beg you!" Syren pleaded.

"The only punishment for repeated failures is the end of your life, Syren!" Mayura began as she took a few feathers out of her fan. They started dancing around above her hand and they turned from white to dark blue.

She blew them out of her hand and towards Syren with the intention to kill her, but then Dark Cupid intercepted the blow and took a heavy shock to his body. Syren looked on in surprise as Dark Cupid endured the pain of Mayura's attack.

Once the pain faded, Dark Cupid knelt down and said, "Leave Syren in my hands, _ma reine!_ She hasn't outlived her usefulness yet, so killing her off would be inefficient."

"Dark Cupid, you shouldn't concern yourself with others, and instead be more concerned about saving _your own_ hide," Mayura began, but then she gave an amused smile. "That said, I can't help but find it entertaining to see an akuma going out of their way to save someone other than themselves. In that case, I leave Syren to you, Dark Cupid. You may do with her as you see fit."

Mayura gave a wicked snicker before leaving the throne room.

"What was that for?" Syren asked as Dark Cupid stood up. "Why save me?"

"I need you, Syren," Dark Cupid said as he turned around and held his hand out to Syren. "I need your power. Help me out, Syren."

Syren looked up at Dark Cupid, her eyes fixated on him.

Later on in the living room, Marinette was finishing up her breakfast and getting ready for school: Nooroo and Tikki were hiding in Marinette's bag as always.

"You should take the ring off before you leave for school, okay?" Tom stated to his daughter.

"I'll take it off when I get there, dad. Anyway, I gotta get going. See you after school, dad!" Marinette said as she ran out the door and went off to school.

Tom chuckled before looking at a family photo of the three of them together. Marinette was still just a little tot, and she was being held in Sabine's arms.

"Sabine, tell me: do you think I'm not hard enough on Marinette?" Tom asked the picture, as if he were talking to his wife. He gazed at Sabine's smiling face.

As Marinette was walking to school, she was looking at the ring on her hand.

"Are you okay, Marinette?" Tikki asked as she flew out from inside the clutch. Nooroo was worried, too.

"I know it was only a dream, you two, but losing my mother's ring is inexcusable. I can't let it happen in the waking world." Marinette said to her kwamis as she looked at her mother's ring.

The kwamis ducked back into the purse when they heard a car coming. A fancy limousine pulled up on the side of the curb, and then Adrien stepped out of the car.

"Hey, Mariboo," Adrien said as he approached the girl, and Marinette got on edge. "So, what's the deal with the ring on your finger? Engaged or something?"

Marinette groaned and said, "No, and even if I was, I wouldn't be engaged to _you._ "

Adrien chuckled and said, "Of course not. I'd never propose to you."

Marinette remembered how Adrien acted in her dream, interrupting her wedding and asking about the ring. She growled and said, "I'm leaving!"

She stomped away to get to school, but Adrien grabbed her wrist, saying, "Hey, wait, I..."

Marinette glared back at him, took her hand away, and she spat, "I'm serious, Adrien! I don't want to talk to you right now."

She turned on her heel and went back to walking to school, but...

"Come on, Mariboo, I-" Adrien began, but as he stepped forward, he stepped on a stray can and wound up rolling on it like a log roller, but he wound up stumbling and running into a pole, smacking his face and forehead right into it.

He slowly slipped down and landed on his stomach, going unconscious for a second. Marinette put her hands to her face in surprise and shock, before saying, "Adrien!"

Within minutes, Marinette brought Adrien to the nearby park. She sat on a bench, and Adrien was lying on his back with his head on her lap and a cloth over his face. Marinette was holding on to his head with her hand.

"I'm sorry about this, Adrien," Marinette began. "I never wanted you to get hurt. Not in a billion years. I'm so sorry."

Marinette's ring started shining and sparkles were radiating from it. The soothing light and love waves coming from it blanketed themselves around the park area, sprinkling themselves over flowers, bathing pairs of birds in the trees, and making the park a peaceful place.

"Mm... This feels nice, wherever I am." Adrien murmured.

"Oh, you're awake?" Marinette asked.

"Just woke up a second ago." Adrien confirmed.

"Then you'd better get off..." Marinette began, giggling a little bit.

"Hang on, is it okay if I stay like this for a bit?" Adrien requested.

Marinette sighed and said, "Fine, whatever."

They sat there peacefully, but they weren't going to be alone for a while. Under the flowing water of the fountain, Syren materialized.

"I'm sensing a powerful love wave... Now where is it..." Syren said as she started looking around. She immediately noticed the ring on Marinette's finger. "Bingo! That's gotta be part of the Miraculous Something Four!"

A little while later, Adrien got up and stretched his arms a bit.

"Well, we're late for school," Adrien stated. "But since we're here, why not have some fun? It's such nice weather out. Hey, I see a vending machine. Want some juice? My treat!"

"Adrien!" Marinette said as Adrien took off for the nearby vending machine. "He's incorrigible."

"I'm sensing an evil presence!" Nooroo shouted, popping out of Marinette's bag out of nowhere. Tikki, too.

"AH! Nooroo, don't jump-scare me like that!" Marinette squeaked, flailing her arms and falling off the bench.

"Didn't you hear what he said?! There's an akuma close by!" Tikki shouted.

"What?!" Marinette asked, growing serious.

On top of the fountain, Syren raised her hands and giant streams of water raced to Marinette and snagged her by the forearm.

 _"Marinette!"_ Nooroo and Tikki shouted as Marinette was dragged over to Syren, and lifted up to her eye level.

"Hey, what do you want?!" Marinette shouted.

"I'm interested in this cute little ring of yours." Syren said as she went to take the ring off Marinette's fingers.

" _Leave it!_ That ring was my mother's!" Marinette shouted as she worked up the strength to bite Syren in the arm and then she punched the akuma in the face.

"OW! Why, you...!" Syren shouted and sent Marinette tumbling into the water.

 _'Okay, gotta transform!'_ Marinette thought, before standing up and shouting, _"Lucky Wedding Flo..."_

But then she noticed that Syren was gone. Marinette looked on her hands and saw that the ring was gone. Her eyes widened and she went into shock for a second.

"Mariboo, do you want apple or orange juice? I wasn't sure what you liked." Adrien said as he made his way back, but then he saw Marinette sitting in the fountain.

Marinette's face was all wet and water was streaming down her face, but it was hard to tell whether it was the water from the fountain or the tears. Maybe both?

"Mariboo, what are you doing in there?!" Adrien asked, dropping the cans and rushing over to the girl.

"Mom's ring..." Marinette muttered, just above a whisper. Adrien was looking at her in worry, completely shocked.

In the akuma realm, Dark Cupid was lounging around when Syren materialized in a blast of water.

"I have a present for you! One of the Miraculous Something Four!" Syren said chirpily.

"Say what?" Dark Cupid asked.

"With this, I repay you for saving me!" Syren said as she tossed the ring over to Dark Cupid.

"Hang on, is that...?" Dark Cupid began.

He recognized the ring as the one that Marinette was wearing when they first met each other.

"The ring the girl had..." Dark Cupid said, and then he blasted some akuma energy at the ring. It was fully intact, and Dark Cupid took it in his grip. "It really _is_ one of the Miraculous Something Four!"

Back with Marinette, Adrien sat her on the edge of the fountain, but her expression didn't seem to falter.

"I'll find it for you," Adrien said, stepping in the fountain and he started moving his hands in the water to find the jewelry piece. "I'm sure it's in here somewhere."

"Don't bother getting wet, Adrien," Marinette said. "The ring wasn't dropped in the fountain."

Adrien looked to Marinette questioningly.

He brought her into the car and he asked the chauffeur to bring them back to Marinette's home. As they sat in the back seat, he saw how depressed Marinette was.

"I've never seen you like this, Mariboo. Getting this down over a missing ring... It must be pretty special to you, huh?" Adrien asked.

"A memento from my mother." Marinette confirmed.

"I'm _so_ sorry..." Adrien said, his expression clouding over.

They got back to the bakery soon enough and Adrien walked into the house with her. They stood before Tom, and Marinette was still dripping wet.

"Marinette! What happened?!" Tom shouted, worried.

"Sorry, sir," Adrien said, giving Tom the backpack. "I should leave the rest of it in your hands..."

Adrien left out the door, with Tom saying, "Hold on!"

But Marinette leaped into her dad's chest and started sobbing and crying. She wailed, "I'm _so_ sorry, dad! I lost mom's ring while in the park! I'm _SO_ sorry!"

Marinette continued crying, and Tom just let her sob for a little while.

A few minutes after she got her tears out, Tom sent Marinette upstairs to take a shower and get cleaned up. Tom went to the picture and he said, "Sabine. I want to ask your permission to tell our daughter the truth."

Marinette came out of the shower wearing a pink bathroom, her hair down, and wearing slippers.

"Marinette?" Tom said. "Come over here. I need to tell you something. It's pretty important."

Marinette sat on the couch and she said, "I'm so sorry, dad... Mom's precious memento, and it's gone."

"No," Tom began. "The thing is... That ring wasn't your mother's memento."

"Excuse me?" Marinette asked.

"Your mother... She's not dead, Marinette." Tom stated.

Marinette's eyes went wide.

"Your mother is out there at this very moment, alive and well." Tom stated.

"Mom's alive...?!" Marinette said, shocked.

The picture of the family was focused on, and specifically Marinette as a little toddler in Sabine's arms.

 _Marinette was a baby, sleeping on the sofa, and wearing her cute clothes. Sabine kissed her baby's cheek, and sat down on the couch with her. She rubbed Marinette's head and had a sad look on her face._

 _"Tom, darling... It's really hurting me inside to say this, but if I stay in this house, grave danger beyond your imagination will fall upon you and little Marinette," Sabine said before standing up. "Please forgive me for being selfish, but I_ have _to go!"_

 _"Will you at least tell me why?" Tom asked. He wasn't as buff as he was in present day, and his mustache and sideburns weren't on his face either._

 _Sabine walked up to her husband and said, "No matter what, I_ will _return. That, I promise. But until that day comes, please take care of our Marinette."_

 _Sabine stood up on the coffee table and kissed Tom on the lips before running out the door, crying._

 _"Sabine!" Tom shouted._

 _He ran out the door after his wife, but he saw some magical sparkles rising up from the spot where Sabine vanished. He approached it, and saw a glowing red sparkle slowly falling down. He saw that it was Sabine's ring, and caught it in the palm of his hand._

 _"I love you and Marinette from the bottom of my heart." Sabine's voice said from out of nowhere._

"I decided that I'd tell the truth once you were older and mature enough to hear this openly," Tom said while Marinette had a faraway look in her eyes. "It pains me to admit that I've been lying about this for over a decade. I'm so sorry, Marinette."

Marinette continued to listen. She hated liars, but it wasn't like her father meant any harm. In fact, she was lying to him constantly by hiding the fact that she was a Love Angel, so she didn't have any right to talk.

"Your mom will return one day, that I believe with my entire heart and soul." Tom stated.

Marinette went back up into her bedroom to change into some new clothes for school. Meanwhile, her dad notified the school that she was gonna be late. She shut the lid on the ring box and looked at it absently.

"Marinette, are you okay?" Tikki asked. Nooroo was also worried about her.

"Mom's alive..." Marinette informed her kwamis. They gasped in shock. "I'm thinking... Is it possible that there's a relationship between mom disappearing and the way that these akumas keep after the ring?"

"That's very possible, Marinette." Nooroo said.

At school, Adrien looked in Marinette's classroom to see if she made it after that little incident in the park.

"Marinette's not here." Alya said, noticing Adrien was looking around for someone.

"Okay." Adrien replied.

"What's the matter? Got your eye on her?" Alya teased.

"No! Not at all!" Adrien immediately denied, but not without any hint of redness in his face.

"But it _is_ a bit odd for Marinette to be absent this way," Chloé commented. "I wonder if something happened? Maybe a cold or flu?"

"That wouldn't be like her. She's got a good immune system." Alya replied.

"Well, the water in the fountain _was_ pretty cold." Adrien murmured.

"What was that?" Chloé asked. "Is there something you know that we don't?"

"Um, nothing!" Adrien replied.

"You're acting suspicious," Alya teased before getting her phone out and getting ready to videotape Adrien. "Alright, spill it!"

"I mean it, there's nothing going on!" Adrien protested.

Marinette walked into the classroom like nothing was going on, and then the trio noticed that their pigtailed companion was there.

"Oh, Marinette!" Chloé said. "Alya's right. Your immune system's too strong for you to get a cold! That'd be ridiculous, utterly ridiculous!"

Marinette sat at her desk, and then Chloé approached. She asked, "What happened this morning?"

"Nothing really..." Marinette began, giving Chloé a weak smile.

"Did something go down with this dude?" Alya asked as she dragged Adrien over to the designer.

Marinette looked at Adrien and merely shook her head before looking away, depressed.

Adrien looked at her. He'd never seen her this depressed, and it really got him worried.

In the akuma realm, Syren and Dark Cupid were talking about the ring. The ring was contained in a transparent prism.

"I've always experienced that there are usually one or two of the Love Angels _with_ the girl that this ring belongs to," Dark Cupid said before walking over to Syren and putting a hand on her shoulder. This got her to look him in the eye. "Syren, I need you to lend me your powers once more. One final fight with the Love Angels."

Syren kept looking at Dark Cupid in the eyes, and he once again said, "There's no way an akuma of your caliber can lose to the likes of them if you set your mind to it."

"Flatterer." Syren said as she looked away.

"Syren," Dark Cupid said, his tone softening and getting Syren to look at him again. "You need to know how grateful I am to you."

"That's sweet of you to say, Dark Cupid." Syren said with a smile.

"Then you'll help?" Dark Cupid probed.

"Yes," Syren said with a determined smile. "I'm not gonna do anything on the side, and I'll team up with you in this fight."

The two akumas kept their eyes on each other while guarding the ring.

Back at the school, Adrien was holding on to a small box. The contents of the box were a ring nearly identical to the one Marinette had, with a few differences in the design. He was looking at it worriedly, was muttering to himself, rubbing the back of his head, and more.

"Yo, dude!" Nino said, popping out of nowhere.

Adrien shouted in surprised and jumped. The box went up in the air, and Adrien scrambled to catch it. Luckily he caught it in his hands, and he sighed in relief.

"Don't scare me like that, Nino." Adrien requested, breathing.

"Sorry, dude," Nino apologized. "So what's that?"

"It's a ring..." Adrien began, blushing.

"Oh, you've got a person in mind?" Nino asked and giving a teasing nudge to his best friend. "Who is it?"

"It's for Marinette." Adrien admitted.

"Dude, I always _thought_ you had a thing for her! Nice job, making the first move!" Nino praised.

"No, that's not it at all," Adrien protested, blushing. "It's... Kind of a long story. And I'm not gonna give it to her in person."

"Huh? Secret admirer approach?" Nino asked.

"No," Adrien repeated. "Like I said, long story. And knowing her, she'd be a lot happier to get this if she _didn't_ know it was from me. I just gotta get it to her without her finding out somehow... Oh, I know!"

Marinette was soon at her locker at the end of the school day. Tikki and Nooroo were still looking at their owner in worry.

Marinette absentmindedly opened the locker and then she saw something on one of the shelves that stuck out to her.

"What's this?" Marinette asked as she took out the out-of-place object: it was an open ring box that contained a similar rose quartz ring.

"Wow, it's so pretty!" Tikki said. "It's not your mother's ring, but..."

"Yeah, I wonder where it came from?" Nooroo asked.

"It's beautiful," Marinette said, a smile creeping on to her face. "Who put it here? I wonder if someone has a crush on me!"

"Maybe they do!" Tikki replied.

"And maybe they were too shy to give it to me in person so they put it in my locker, and now they're just waiting to appear and admit that they're in love with me! Then we date and we fall madly in love with each other, we'll get married, have three kids, a house, and a dog - no, a cat! Wait, screw that! A hamster!" Marinette squealed, her fantasies running wild.

Nooroo and Tikki just looked at Marinette, amused at her ramblings.

"Maybe you should just start with _talking_ to this person first." Nooroo suggested.

"Uh, yeah, good point." Marinette admitted.

"Hey, dudette." A voice said from nearby, and Nooroo and Tikki immediately ducked back in to hide.

"Oh, Nino, hi!" Marinette said. "Isn't this ring beautiful?"

"Yeah, it is. Adrien has good taste." Nino said, but then he covered his mouth in shock at what he said.

"Wait? _Adrien?_ " Marinette asked.

"Um, yeah..." Nino began, before confessing. "Yeah, that ring's from Adrien, dude. He didn't want to give it to you himself."

Marinette blinked in surprise.

"Thing is, he's been worried about you. You're not your usual cheerful self, and it's been boggling his mind." Nino explained.

"...Really? He's that worried about me?" Marinette asked, looking at the ring.

"Yeah," Nino said before making to leave. "By the way, since he was late for school today, he'll be taking detention by cleaning up the school pool area. That's where he'll be if you wanna talk to him later."

"Thanks, Nino." Marinette said quietly as Nino left.

"What's the matter, Marinette?" Nooroo asked.

"I probably should do something for Adrien." Marinette began.

Tikki gave a smile and said, "That's very sweet of you."

Alya and Chloé were waiting outside the school for Marinette, but she was running late.

"Where _is_ she? Bad enough she was late today, but late walking home with us? Ridiculous! Utterly ridiculous!" Chloé complained.

"Tardiness is par for the course for Duchess Marinette, but she seems fairly off-kilter today. Doesn't she, my queen?" Pollen asked.

"I know," Alya said to Pollen. "I'm sure _something_ must've happened that she doesn't want to tell us."

"But she'll tell when she's ready, I'm sure." Trixx replied to her owner.

But then their phones went off and Alya pulled hers out. She said, "Hey, it's from Marinette. She says that something's come up and she can't make it. She's telling us to go ahead on our own."

The girls and kwamis looked at each other in confusion.

At the school pool, Adrien was mopping up the pool ground, putting in a lot of elbow grease into his work. He was trying to catch his breath, and he wiped his forehead.

"Damn, this isn't a one-person job..." Adrien muttered.

"Then maybe it's a job for _two?_ " A voice asked and he turned around to see Marinette, also carrying a broom. "You won't be able to get home until after dark if you keep working like that. But now I'm here to help."

"Really?" Adrien asked, a questioning look and a smile on his face. "You're going to help me even though you're not the one being punished?"

"It was _my_ fault that you're in detention," Marinette said. "So, here I am!"

"Okay! Hey, wanna have a race to make this go faster?" Adrien asked as he put his broom in position.

"You're on!" Marinette said, also putting her broom in position. "Three, two, one, _race!_ "

The two of them took off running and racing around the sides of the pool while sweeping. They were teasing each other, laughing, smiling, and having so much fun. But Marinette ended up losing control of her broom and she wound up tripping herself up. The pair hollered in fright before they ended up falling over in a small heap. But then they went right back to laughing.

"Geez, that was fun!" Adrien said.

"Yeah, it was!" Marinette agreed, giggling.

Adrien calmed down from his laughter as he sat up, but then Marinette giggled a little more.

"Oh Adrien?" Marinette asked in a singsong voice. Adrien looked at her and saw that she was wearing the ring he got her. " _Merci beaucoup._ "

"Um... What're you talking about? I don't know anything!" Adrien stammered, blushing and turning his face away.

"Don't bother hiding it, Adrien. It's out in broad daylight now." Marinette teased.

"Damn it... Nino said something, didn't he?!" Adrien muttered to himself.

The peace wasn't to last, though. Out of the pool a giant, faceless water snake emerged from the pool and it howled.

 _"What the hell is that?!"_ Adrien shouted as he and Marinette stood up and turned around to face the beast.

Hovering overhead were both Dark Cupid _and_ Syren, and the latter of the two of them said, "I like to use to cool off passionate fires of love."

"Dark Cupid and Syren!" Marinette shouted, surprised to see the akumas twice in one day.

"Nice to see you again, little girl!" Syren said to Marinette.

"My name is Marinette, so use it! And you give me back my mother's ring _this instant_ , you third-rate skinny dipper!" Marinette shouted.

Adrien's eyes widened and he immediately understood: the girl confronting them now stole the ring.

 _"You did it?!"_ Adrien angrily demanded of Syren.

"I wouldn't have taken it to begin with if I was going to give it back." Syren giggled.

The water snake raged towards them and was about to hit the two teens. Marinette couldn't transform out in the open like this! She'd not only expose herself to the akumas, but then Adrien would find out!

"Marinette!" Adrien shouted as he snatched up the broom and tried to defend themselves.

He managed to block the water snake, but the broom was broken on impact and the brush of the broom bounced away. Adrien then stood in front of Marinette, blocking the attackers from her.

"Was it her? It was her, wasn't it, Marinette?" Adrien asked, looking determined and angry.

"Adrien..." Marinette said, surprised to see this gallant side to him.

The water snake charged at them once again. But this time, without anything to defend themselves, Adrien turned around and hugged Marinette close to him, protecting her.

Adrien started glowing pale green and began radiating an energy wave. The water snake stopped right in its tracks as a pale green barrier surrounded Adrien and Marinette.

 _"Huh?!"_ Syren and Dark Cupid gasped, surprised at this turn of events.

The water snake didn't move, and Syren demanded, "What's going on?! Attack!"

But there wasn't any response. The barrier faded away. Adrien, growing weak from the energy output he created, painfully moaned, "M... Marinette..."

He fell unconscious while hanging over Marinette's shoulders.

"Adrien!" Marinette shouted, but then the water snake smacked her from in front and she screamed while being knocked into the water, meanwhile Adrien was unconscious on the ground.

"That energy wave... The one that surrounded that boy just now... I've never seen one like that. It wasn't like any wave radiating from any angel or akuma I've ever encountered..." Dark Cupid murmured.

While Marinette was floating aimlessly in the pool, her eyes were open and she was holding her breath, thinking, _'Adrien...'_

 _"Lucky Wedding Flower!"_ Marinette shouted under the water while transforming into Ladybug... Good thing her wedding dress was waterproof.

Ladybug jumped out of the pool and landed on the edge. She was glaring up at the two akumas.

"Well, well, look who's here. Syren?" Dark Cupid said as he started shooting his arrows and Syren created water blasts at Ladybug.

Ladybug jumped out of the way of the blast and she shouted, _"Bridal Change! Wedding Dress Transform! Angel Creation Ladybug!"_

She then landed on the ground again, her yo-yo ready and in more practical clothes.

"Get her!" Syren ordered and the water snake charged at Ladybug, but then...

 _"Mirage Bombard!"_ A shout came and light pellets pierced through the snake's body, causing it to lose its shape and the water fell back in the pool.

Rena Rouge and Queen Bee landed next to Ladybug, each girl flanking their leader.

"Ladybug's not the only Love Angel here!" Rena Rouge said as she put her flute away.

"You couldn't've forgotten about _us_ , could you, Syren?!" Queen Bee asked rhetorically.

"Queen Bee, go for it!" Rena Rouge stated.

"Right!" Queen Bee said as she took out her top. _"Venom Spin!"_

The top started to spin and it circled around the top of the water underneath Syren. The toy leaped up and stabbed Syren in the leg, rendering her unable to move.

"Now or never, Ladybug!" Queen Bee said.

"Right! _Ladybug Bridal Blast!"_ Ladybug declared as she shot a giant beam of white love waves at Syren.

Syren was directly hit and she started screaming. She turned her face towards Dark Cupid and she reached her hand out, shouting, "Dark Cupid! Help me... Dark Cupid!"

Dark Cupid only floated there in shock for a second before moving in closer in an attempt to help... But he stopped.

Syren's look softened and she smiled, before saying, "Dark Cupid... I can't begin to tell you how happy I was to work with you."

Once purified, she turned into sparkles and started floating up in the sky.

"Hah! You were happy? That's pretty foolish..." Dark Cupid complained before dematerializing.

The sparkles that were created out of the Syren's purified remains continued to fly to the clear sky.

Dark Cupid went back into the akuma realm and he cursed, "Damn you, Ladybug!"

But he crossed his arms as he started thinking about something else altogether: Adrien.

"And that boy who project that love wave... Who _was_ he? It worries me..." Dark Cupid murmured.

Speaking of Adrien, he was coming to. Chloé and Alya stuck around too. Ladybug had already used her Miraculous Ladybug to fix everything while Adrien was still comatose.

"Adrien? Can you hear me?" Marinette asked. Adrien's eyes blearily opened and his vision focused on Marinette. "Thank goodness, Adrien."

"Marinette?!" Adrien asked as he sat up and then grabbed Marinette by her arms. "Talk to me! Are you hurt?!"

He then hugged Marinette close and started looking around cautiously. He asked, "What happened to that water snake and those flying weirdos?!"

"What are you going on about?" Chloé asked.

"Maybe you had a crazy dream while you were out cold like that." Alya suggested, causing Adrien to pause, embarrassed.

Marinette giggled and leaned in closer to Adrien's chest. She thought, _'I'm glad you're alright, Adrien. I really am.'_

"Ooh... Since when did _this_ relationship of yours start?" Alya teased.

"Don't go making me jealous, you two!" Chloé added.

Marinette and Adrien blushed while looking at each other. Marinette scrambled out of his arms and said, "Wh-What?! M-Me and Adrien?! If as! No, I mean, as if!"

But her movements were so sudden and jerky that she wound up accidentally shoving Adrien into the pool.

He got up out of the water and shouted, "Hey, are you trying to drown me, Mariboo?!"

"Sorry!" Marinette shouted as she went to help Adrien get out of the water, the girls laughing.

* * *

 **Alright, Syren's been defeated! And now we have some more information about Sabine and her disappearance, and Marinette's questioning whether there's a connection between the akumas' assault and her mother going AWOL. And it's now confirmed that Sabine's ring _is_ , in fact, one of the Miraculous Something Four!**

 **But now we have a bigger problem: Adrien seems to have caught the curiosity of Dark Cupid!**

 **Speaking of which, on the next chapter of Wedding Ladybug, just when Adrien starts cluing in on the girls' secret, Dark Cupid decides to switch targets and kidnaps** **him! In order to get him out of there, the girls have gotta waltz into the lair of the enemy known as the Akuma's Forest, and they wind up having to deal with some of the plants that can turn your friends into your enemies! How's Ladybug gonna fight two-on-one?!**

 **Preview time! Let's see... Does episode 18 strike your fancy?**

 **Summer break had started for the school and the girls decided to have a sleepover at Le Grand Paris hotel. They were all in Chloé's room, and since she locked the door and asked for privacy, all four kwamis were out in the open and enjoying the party. The girls were all in their pajamas, too.**

 _ **"Cheers, to summer vacation!"**_ **The trio of girls sang, toasting to their temporary freedom.**

 **The kwamis had their own little toast, too.**

 **Marinette gulped down her juice and said, "We can stay up as long as we'd like tonight!"**

 **"No kidding, girl," Alya agreed. "We need some time to have a little more fun."**

 **"Agreed," Chloé said. "We need to relax a bit. School is ridiculous, utterly ridiculous enough, but fighting akumas all the time on top of that? We need a break."**

 **"I couldn't agree more, my queen!" Pollen said as she was munching on a honey biscuit. "Even the Love Angels need a sabbatical every once in a while."**

 **"Yeah, too bad the akumas don't stop for anything." Trixx commented as she ate a piece of melon.**

 **"Come on, enough talking about the akumas," Tikki said, trying to get the mood back on track. "Let's just relax, have some fun and good food, and just forget about the akuma-angel war for tonight."**

 **"Okay!" Marinette said, knowing her kwami had a good point.**

 **The light reflected on the ring Marinette was wearing and Alya pointed out, "Oh, Marinette! That's a beautiful ring, girl."**

 **"Huh?" Marinette asked as she showed the girls her ring.**

 **"Looks like an engagement ring to me." Alya commented.**

 **"Oh, this actually belonged to my mom," Marinette informed. "I just like wearing it."**

 **"Marinette, you don't have a boyfriend yet. Why wear a ring?" Chloé snickered.**

 **Marinette blushed in response, before saying, "Um... pot, kettle. Have you met?"**

 **The girls burst out laughing at this, realizing how right Marinette was.**


	15. Gatecrash! The Akumas' Forest!

**Today on Wedding Ladybug, the girls' secret might be coming out because Adrien's starting to suspect that something's up! And to make matters more freaky, Dark Cupid's decided to shift gears and instead of going after the Love Angels as always, he kidnaps Adrien! And in order to save him, the girls are gonna have to dive into the lions' den! But crap's gonna hit the fan when the plants of the forest are sent out to turn the girls against each other!**

 **I would've used Volpina in this chapter, but like I said earlier, I have other plans for that phony vixen.**

 **Also, I wanted to make something _ABSOLUTELY CLEAR_ in this chapter for everyone: ****Chlonath AIN'T HAPPENING! Remember, Chloé's playing YURI in this story, not Hinagiku. Alya's playing Hinagiku, but her romance with Nino's going to be the one between Yanagiba and Yuri. Elements of the girls' roles are being switched around, okay?**

 **Now, pay attention to what's happening to Adrien in this (and some future) chapters. There's gonna be some significance here and there.  
**

* * *

In the akuma realm, Dark Cupid was once again in the throne room of the castle and he was reporting the latest encounter with the Love Angels to Mayura.

"Once again we were attacked by the Love Angels," Dark Cupid reported. "And during their assault, Syren was destroyed."

Mayura scoffed and said, "Only those who are useful deserve to have their lives. She got what was coming to her."

Dark Cupid was quiet. He was secretly upset that Syren was dispatched, but that was something he didn't plan on talking about. He also didn't report to Mayura that it was Syren herself that got one of the Miraculous Something Four. If Mayura knew that, maybe the queen would've changed her tune.

"Exactly how many more times must you come back empty-handed?" Mayura questioned the akuma.

"Apologies, Queen Mayura," Dark Cupid stated. "But there's one more bit of information I should tell you."

"And what is it?" Mayura asked, growing impatient.

"During our last encounter with the angels, I felt a powerful new type of energy wave coming from one of the humans." Dark Cupid reported.

He remembered how Adrien protected the girl and how the pale green energy wave came off him and blocked Syren's water snake.

"From a _human?_ " Mayura asked, a brow quirking up. She was intrigued.

"Yes. I want to investigate this matter more closely." Dark Cupid reported.

"Very well, but remember: only the useful deserve to live, so you need to prepare yourself." Mayura said before leaving the throne room again.

The tiniest bead of sweat trickled down the side of Dark Cupid's face as Mayura left. He stood up and looked at the contained ring in his hand, smirking evilly.

Meanwhile, Marinette was walking to school while still looking at her bare hand, sad that her mother's ring got stolen.

 _'Forgive me, maman. I let them take your ring...'_ Marinette thought sadly. Her kwamis were also worried about their owner.

"Don't worry, Marinette," Tikki said, trying to cheer Marinette up. "We'll get your mother's ring back! No doubt about it!"

"Thanks, Tikki, Nooroo." Marinette said as she hugged the kwamis to her face. But then they ducked into hiding when they sensed someone coming.

"Hey!" A voice shouted from behind and Marinette turned around to see Adrien getting out of his family's car. He approached her with a smile. "What's the matter? You seem pretty sad."

"Oh, me? Sad? Why would I be sad? I'm _so_ not sad! See, happy little me! Isn't the weather great? I mean, who _wouldn't_ be perky with this kind of weather? Look, sunshine, clouds, birds chirping everywhere... What's there to be sad about?" Marinette rambled, trying to cover up any hint of being upset. "A-Anyway, gotta go! Can't be late for school! See ya!"

Marinette took off running for school, leaving Adrien in the dust. He looked at her retreating back in suspicion and muttered to himself, "She's definitely _not_ okay."

Later on at school, Adrien decided to ask her friends for some information. He knew she'd always confide in Alya or Chloé about something major, so he thought that they'd know something.

"What's that? Marinette?" Chloé asked as she was painting her nails and side-eying Adrien.

"Yeah. She hasn't been herself, right? She's been pretty sad. I'm sure you've noticed." Adrien pointed out.

"Sad? That's ridiculous, utterly ridiculous!" Chloé said before focusing on her nails again. "Do you even _know_ how Marinette is? She's like, the most energetic and cheerful girl in the entire goddamned _world!_ She's _bursting_ with happiness."

"Aha." Adrien replied in an unconvinced tone, crossing his arms before thinking.

Chloé didn't look Adrien in the eyes. She was doing her best not to let on that his inquiry was rattling her. The less he knew about the whole Love Angel situation, the better it would be for him.

Since he wasn't getting anywhere with Chloé, Adrien decided to talk to Alya. Maybe _she_ had the answers he was looking for.

"Marinette?" Alya asked as she played Super Penguino on her phone.

"Yeah. Anything about what she might be going through right now? Or any crazy events that she's gotten caught up in?" Adrien asked.

"Crazy events?" Alya asked, trying to play it cool. She laughed it off, albeit it wasn't very good. "What are you talking about? This is the real world, not some TV drama or fantasy cartoon! If something insane like that happened to Marinette, gossip around school would spread like wildfire and social media would be blowing up! Where do these insane ideas of yours come from, anyway?"

After that, the girls met up in their club room to talk about Adrien's inquiries. It didn't sit well with them at all.

"So he asked you, too, Chloé?" Marinette said, stating a fact as opposed to asking a question.

"Yeah, he did," Chloé confirmed. "So I denied knowing anything."

"Excellent decision, my queen." Pollen praised.

"He asked me, too," Alya informed. "But what was I supposed to say? "Yeah, Adrien, these akumas have come to the human realm to steal the love waves from the human race and enslave all us angels!" As if he'd be able to stomach _that_. Or even _believe_ it."

"No kidding." Trixx added.

"I know," Marinette agreed. "I haven't even broken the news about this to my dad yet."

"You've kept your mouth shut about everything? Even the fact that we're Love Angels?" Chloé asked.

Marinette gave a solemn nod and then Tikki questioned, "I wonder... Is Adrien beginning to clue in about us?"

"I hope not." Marinette said, worried about how they'd throw Adrien off their tail.

Speaking of Adrien, that afternoon came and went. He just finished up fencing practice and he was now in the family car on his way back home. He was thinking about the events at the pool the other day.

"Something's going on. Not sure what it is, but it's happening - I know it." Adrien muttered to himself.

He clearly remembered the water snake coming out of the pool and the two akumas flying around. He also remembered that one of them was revealed to be the one who stole Marinette's ring from her. And since he remembered every sensation and sound from up until he got knocked out, he _knew_ it wasn't a figment of his imagination.

"No. No way in _hell_ that was a dream," Adrien stated, even more determined to find answers. "Now I just need to find out what it was."

* * *

That evening in Marinette's room, she was looking at the empty ring box. Nooroo and Tikki were dozing on a pillow on the bed.

 _'Mom... I promise to you that I'll get your ring back!'_ Marinette quietly vowed.

Her phone rang with a text alert and then she picked it up. It was an unknown number, but all the text message said was "Come out to your balcony, please?"

Marinette climbed out of her skylight window above her bed and walked to the railing of the balcony. Down below, much to her surprise, was Adrien, who was waving at her.

"Think you can come out?" Adrien asked.

"Adrien?" Marinette asked, surprised to see him.

She gave a nod and climbed back down into her room. She ran down the stairs that led to her bed, much to the confusion of her kwamis. Tikki dove into Marinette's bag. Marinette herself was about to head down the door, but then she stopped in front of her mirror and smoothed her hair out a bit.

She then ran down the trap door to her room, and Nooroo asked aloud, "What's gotten into Marinette?"

Adrien brought Marinette out to a nearby park and they were near the playground. Adrien was sitting on the jungle gym while Marinette was leaning up against it.

"Sorry to drag you out like this," Adrien apologized. "Especially this late at night."

"Don't worry about it, Adrien." Marinette said, still not looking him in the eyes.

"It's just... This whole thing has been nagging at me, this idea that you've gotten caught up in some sort of trouble." Adrien admitted to Marinette.

"That's insane," Marinette denied. "What kind of trouble could swallow up little ol' _me?_ Sounds like your imagination is overworking itself. Probably doesn't get enough exercise with your insane schedule, so it's running wild."

"Maybe," Adrien replied. "But I can't ignore this feeling that weird things are happening around us... Or more to the point, around _you_."

Marinette turned around in surprise and looked at Adrien's profile. He was still solemn and thinking about the situation.

"My brain gets all foggy when I think about it, but I know I'm on point," Adrien said before jumping down from the jungle gym and turning to Marinette. "Mariboo, _something's_ up, isn't there? It's been plaguing my head, and I want answers."

Marinette gave a smile and said, "Adrien, it's very sweet for you to be so worried, but..."

She turned her face askance and thought, _'I can't talk about it. I can't. The last thing I need is you getting caught up in all this.'_

Noticing her body language, Adrien gave a tender smile and said, "Don't worry."

Marinette looked back at him and gave him a questioning look.

"It's okay, I won't ask anything more," Adrien explained. "I'm so sorry. I've never seen you this sad, and it's worrying me. I'm sorry."

Marinette looked at him again, but this time tears were welling up in her eyes. The emotions and the weight of her struggles as Ladybug, not to mention how her entire life turned upside-down the day she and Dark Cupid first met were beginning to hit her like a ton of bricks.

"I... It's all... It's all so overwhelming. It's too much for me sometimes... I can't even tell what's really happening anymore!" Marinette admitted. Tikki peeked out of her hiding spot, having never seen her owner this upset.

"Seriously? It's _that_ awful?" Adrien asked. "I wish I could do something to help you."

"W... Why are you being such a gentleman out of nowhere like this?!" Marinette asked, before running and placing her hands on his chest for comfort. "When you're this kind... It only makes it _worse_..."

"Forgive me..." Adrien murmured as he hugged Marinette back.

 _'Adrien...'_ Marinette internally cried.

But Adrien noticed something was amiss. He looked up in confusion. Marinette turned around and saw Dark Cupid standing on the street lamp.

"Found you. That boy who gives off that new love wave." Dark Cupid said, smirking evilly.

"You?!" Adrien said, stepping forward. "Who the hell are you, anyway?!"

Instead of answering, Dark Cupid took out an arrow and said, "Toroldum, ruinism, curse all those who love! Negative energy radiate!"

He shot the arrow at the teen's feet and it started giving off waves of akuma energy. The twosome were screaming from the blinding light and the fear rushing through them. Marinette was okay, but Adrien slumped forward, unconscious.

Magically, he was lifted and black chains of akuma energy wrapped around his waist.

"Adrien!" Marinette shouted as Dark Cupid took Adrien and vanished into the sky. Marinette only looked on in shock while Tikki flew out of hiding.

"This isn't good..." Tikki murmured.

"Crap, what'll I do?!" Marinette shouted, panicking, her hands against the sides of her head. She was pacing around in panic and fright. "If Adrien never comes back... If something happens to him...!"

"Calm down, Marinette!" Tikki said. "First thing's first, get the girls informed!"

"Right." Marinette said as she took out her phone and placed a video call to Alya.

At the Césaire apartment, Alya had gotten out of the shower and was in her room, wrapped in a fluffy, orange towel. Her phone started ringing.

"Alya, your phone." Trixx pointed out.

"Thanks," Alya said as she picked it up. "Oh, it's Marinette. I wonder what's up."

She swiped the phone to take the call and said, "Hey girl. What's going on?"

 _"Alya, stay calm and listen carefully."_ Marinette said, a serious tone in her voice.

"What's wrong?" Alya asked.

 _"I_ just _had another run-in with Dark Cupid, and he... He..."_ Marinette began, not sure how else to continue.

"Go on." Alya prodded.

 _"Dark Cupid took Adrien!"_ Marinette stated, worry in her tone.

"Say what?! He kidnapped Adrien?!" Alya asked, shocked. "Girl, I'm connecting this call to Chloé."

 _"Thanks, Alya."_ Marinette said as Alya went ahead to inform Chloé of their predicament.

Meanwhile, Nooroo was out in the city, looking around for Marinette and Tikki.

"Where'd you go, Marinette?" Nooroo asked quietly. He soon spotted his owner down below in the park and flew over to her. "There you are, Marinette! I've been looking everywhere!"

"Nooroo..." Marinette said as she looked at him.

"Marinette!" Alya shouted. The group turned around and saw the girls and their kwamis dashing over to the group.

After they got another testimony about what happened to Adrien, the girls were starting to talk about it.

"Shit's _really_ hit the fan now, hasn't it?" Alya asked. "You sure you're okay, Marinette?"

"Yeah, but that's not important right now," Marinette confirmed. "We have to stay focused on the matter at hand! Adrien's been kidnapped!"

"Get a grip, Marinette! Don't you cry!" Chloé barked, pointing a finger at her.

"My queen, harshness is unnecessary." Pollen gently commented.

"Pollen's right." Nooroo agreed.

"Anyway, sounds like we gotta go and save him." Alya said with a smile.

"First thing's first, we gotta track him down," Marinette began, pacing around. "How are we gonna do that, though?"

"I don't think it's safe for Trixx, Pollen, and I to go and find him. If angel-owned kwamis get seen by any akumas lurking about, we could get captured, and it'd be a disaster! You can't transform without us." Tikki said.

"So sending us in is a bad idea." Trixx agreed.

"Then what are our other options?" Marinette asked, crossing her arms and thinking.

"Let me help," Nooroo volunteered. "I'll search every akuma hangout I can remember until I find Adrien!"

"Thanks, Nooroo!" Marinette said, hugging the little guy and then giving him a kiss on the head.

"You sure you can do this?" Chloé asked.

"Of course! Once I have my mind set on something, I don't quit!" Nooroo said as he flew off to go find Adrien.

"If you come back after hitting a dead end, you're gonna be in for a miniature ass-whooping, you hear me?" Chloé shouted as the kwami disappeared into the sky.

Flying around the sky, Nooroo muttered to himself, "Okay, Nooroo. You know what to do. Finding an akuma means _making_ like an akuma!"

He sharpened his features, looking like when he was working with the akumas in the past.

* * *

The next day at school, Marinette was sitting on one of the benches out near the courtyard, watching the fencing team's practice. She normally wouldn't be a spectator to a fencing match, but since Adrien was on the team, she couldn't help but watch.

 _'I've never been into fencing, but without Adrien, the team just seems so sparse...'_ Marinette thought, feeling down. Tikki was looking at her from the purse sadly.

"Damn! Of all the times to be stuck here at school! We should be going out there and finding Adrien!" Chloé complained.

"Chloé, I understand how you feel, but we can't do anything until Nooroo gets back." Alya said.

"Alya's right," Trixx agreed, peeking out from her hiding spot. "We need to wait on Nooroo."

" _How_ can the two of you be so patient?!" Chloé barked. "Can't you see how miserable Marinette is over there?!"

Alya looked and watched Marinette as she watched the team practice, but she was so depressed at the sight of the team. Since Adrien was MIA, it just... Didn't seem right to her. It felt like something was missing.

"Yo, Marinette!" Someone said from behind her and Marinette turned around to see Nino.

"Hey Nino," Marinette greeted back. "What's going on?"

"Have you gotten any word from Adrien lately, dude?" Nino asked.

Marinette flinched when she heard that Nino was looking for his best friend.

"No one can get ahold of him, dude," Nino explained. "He isn't answering his phone, and we've looked everywhere on campus, but he hasn't turned up. Any clue where he is?"

Chloé and Alya came up and Alya said, "Sorry Nino, we haven't heard a thing."

"Yeah, Nino," Chloé said. "We're clueless!"

"Well... If you hear anything, let me know, dude." Nino said before running off.

"Ugh, I hate lying to him like that," Marinette complained. "But we can't let him get involved. The fewer non-angels that we get involved, the better."

"You're right, Marinette." Tikki agreed from the clutch.

"Still, lying to Nino about his BFF doesn't make me feel very good." Alya admitted, with Trixx giving her a sad look.

 _"GIRLS!"_ Nooroo shouted as he flew over to them. The other kwamis came out of hiding, too.

"Nooroo! Any luck?" Marinette asked.

"Yep! I found him!" Nooroo confirmed. "He's outside the city! In a huge, dilapidated factory that's got a giant smokestack!"

"A dilapidated factory with a giant smokestack?" Tikki repeated.

"Sounds like one of those places that gives off _such_ a spooky feeling that no one bothers to go near it, not even adults or professional demolitionists!" Alya stated. "That _would_ be a place where monsters like akumas would probably set up shop."

Nooroo nodded furiously and said, "Right! And I could sense a huge amount of akuma energy coming out of there, too!"

"Well, what are we doing, standing around here?!" Chloé said. "Let's get going!"

"Hang on," Marinette cut in. "We haven't the slightest idea what kind of akumas are hiding in that place. Tikki, Nooroo, and I will fly solo on this one. I don't want either of you putting your lives on the line."

"Don't you even think about it!" Alya said, getting Marinette's attention. "We're going to help you out! We're happy to do it!"

"You're not the only Love Angel here, Marinette. Remember that." Chloé stated.

"Quite right, my queen," Pollen agreed. "We're all in this together, Duchess Marinette!"

Marinette smiled, touched at her friends' loyalty and she said, "Thank you so much, girls..."

They cut class after they got the news from Nooroo. Following the butterfly kwami's lead, they found the factory on the outskirts of the city. The kwamis were all out in the open and they were looking around at the factory.

"Ugh, this place gives me the creeps!" Chloé complained.

"Yeah, I'm getting eerie vibes from here, too." Alya added.

"He's in there," Nooroo stated. "And there's _definitely_ akumas in here. No doubt about it."

"Alright. Ready, girls?" Marinette asked her friends.

 _"Ready!"_ Chloé and Alya said, ready to go in and find Adrien.

In the beginning, it just seemed like an average, spooky, abandoned factory. Nothing too out of the ordinary.

"Over here!" Nooroo shouted out as he flew over to another wall. The girls came upon a giant, dark purple door that was decorated intricately. "The akuma energy is coming from behind here."

"Adrien's gotta be in there," Marinette said. "Let's go!"

The door opened up slowly, and mist started flowing out. The girls didn't hesitate. They walked right in, but already they were confused and a bit nervous.

"Where the hell are we?" Chloé asked.

"This is the akumas' lair." Nooroo explained.

"Nooroo, exactly what _kind_ of akumas are we dealing with here?" Alya prodded.

Marinette was focused on finding Adrien, but then she paused when she felt something off. Her brain started playing a vision in her eyes.

Adrien was unconscious and tied to a giant tree trunk. The vines binding him were writhing and he was unresponsive to any stimuli at all.

"If you don't want that girlfriend of yours to suffer from unending misery, I suggest that you let go of your fears and answer me: _what was that love wave radiating from your body?! Achemilio!"_ Dark Cupid demanded.

The tree then shocked Adrien with akuma energy and Adrien hollered in pain before his head slumped forward again.

A face came out of the vine, and it said, "Dark Cupid! We have intruders, my lord!"

Hearing the report, and suspecting it to be the Love Angels, Dark Cupid smirked and said, "I'll let the plants have at them."

Once the vision ended, Marinette put her hands on her head, as if fighting off a headache and fell to her knees. She screamed a bit and said, "Adrien...!"

"Marinette!" Tikki said as she rushed to her owner.

"Girl, are you okay?" Alya asked, kneeling down and checking on Marinette.

"I... I just saw Adrien tied up to a tree!" Marinette said in a panic. "And I heard Dark Cupid say something..."

"What'd he say?" Chloé asked.

"I... I think it was "Achemilio" or something..." Marinette muttered.

"NO! Not "Achemilio!" _Anything_ but that one!" Nooroo squeaked in a panic. "It's a spell that causes the mind and heard a lot of confusion and steals your ability to think!"

"Then we'd better hurry and find Adrien! Come on!" Marinette said as she stood up and smiled.

Up ahead, strange plants were popping out of the soil out of nowhere. They were all pretty spooky-looking plants, with blackish-purple petals, teeth-like appendages on the leaves, the stems were a sickly blackish-green, and the leaves looked like sharp knives.

"...Akuma plants, maybe?" Tikki suggested anxiously.

"That wouldn't be too farfetched," Nooroo replied. "Plenty of akuma-realm plants can function the same as a normal akuma."

"If they can function like our usual akumas, then we'd better _treat_ them like our usual akumas! Let's do some pruning, girls!" Marinette said to her team.

 _"Lucky Wedding Flower!" "Cunning Wedding Flower!" "Growing Wedding Flower!" "Bridal Change! Wedding Dress Transform!" "Angel Creation Ladybug!" "Angel Illusion Rena Rouge!" "Angel Subjection Queen Bee!"_

The girls took their weapons out. Ladybug tried her best to examine the situation, but unfortunately her teammates decided to just charge right in.

"Wait, girls!" Marinette shouted.

Out of nowhere, the akuma plants spewed blasts of their pollen into the angels' faces, stopping them in their tracks. They were coughing and spluttering from it. But it wasn't just their airways that the pollen was messing with.

The girls' eyes went blank...

 _Queen Bee blinked and in a dream-like state, she saw her mom and Marinette standing in front of the former's helicopter. They had suitcases with them, and were standing in front Chloé._

 _"Chloé, can you believe it?!" Marinette said as she showed a document that stated that Marinette was approved to work in the United States and was now official Audrey Bourgeois's pupil._ _"Isn't it amazing?!"_

 _"You're the first to know outside her father. I'm going back to New York, and taking Marinette with me as my apprentice. She's got what it takes to knock Gabriel Agreste off his throne."_

 _"Marinette, you were supposed to tell mom that_ I _wanted to go with her to New York!" Queen Bee spat. "You were going to convince her to bring me along, remember?!"_

 _"I_ was _going to convince her to take you, honest. But she started going on and on about my designs, one thing led to another, and now here we are," Marinette said with a shrug and giggle. "Aren't you happy for me, Chloé?! My dreams are coming true!"_

 _"Marinette, aren't you forgetting about our mission to end the Akuma-Angel war?! What are you thinking, just abandoning me and Rena Rouge like this?! We need_ all _of the Miraculous Something Four!"_ _Queen Bee screeched._

 _"You two've been able to hold your own from the beginning. You'll be fine without me," Marinette said, brushing it off. "Besides, my priorities are in order anyway, and now that your mom's taking me to New York, the akuma-angel war is on the bottom of that list."_

 _"I... I can't believe you...!" Queen Bee whined, about to cry as her mom and friend climbed into the helicopter. "You promised to get mom to bring me to New York... And you... You stabbed me in the back!"_

 _Queen Bee scowled as everything went dark and her eyes went blank._

The pollen settled around Rena Rouge, but her eyes were blank, too.

 _"Alright, time to cut these weeds down to size! Come on, Ladybug!" Rena Rouge said as she took out her flute to fight._

 _But a metal object sliced through her shoulder, spilling blood. Rena Rouge whirled around to see Ladybug with a sword in hand an evil smile on her face. She was also giving out a wicked giggle._

 _"L... Ladybug, what's with the attack from behind like that?" Rena questioned weakly, holding her shoulders._

 _"You're such a bonehead," Ladybug said, her expression remaining unchanged. "Were you seriously under the impression that we were BFF's or something?"_

 _"What are you talking about?" Rena Rouge asked. "You're not turning against are, are you?"_

 _"I've been a double-agent for the akumas from the get-go. So, how_ can _I be betraying you?" Ladybug stated. "Had to make sure no one could help you out, so I feigned a friendship with you."_

 _"You did the same to Queen Bee, didn't you?!" Rena accused, and right behind Ladybug was Queen Bee, lying in a pool of her own blood. "NO! Queen Bee!"_

 _"Yep, I dispatched Queen Bee. Just one stab from behind. Now it's your turn!" Ladybug said as she brandished her sword._

 _Rena Rouge growled and glowered at Ladybug, her eyes going blank and the scene changing to black._

Ladybug watched her friends as they turned back to her, with angry faces and the lights and pupils in their eyes completely gone.

"Queen Bee? Rena Rouge? What's going on, you two?" Ladybug asked.

"Uh-oh!" Nooroo gasped, freaked out.

 _"You backstabber! You broke your promise to me!"_ Queen Bee hollered.

 _"I'll never forgive you, you traitor!"_ Rena Rouge shouted.

Ladybug took her yo-yo out and started spinning it to defend herself. She asked Nooroo, "Is the pollen doing this to them?"

"Yep!" Nooroo shouted as he flew for cover.

 _"Ladybug! You're mine!"_ Rena Rouge shouted as she and Queen Bee took out their weapons and charged at Ladybug.

Ladybug jumped and avoided the tip of Queen Bee's top, before ducking down to avoid Rena's flute.

"Rena, Queen Bee, cut it out! Wake up! We're a team! Friends, remember?!" Ladybug asked, trying to get her friends to snap out of it.

"I'm not falling for that again!" Rena Rouge shouted as she did a roundhouse kick on Ladybug, but she blocked it with her yo-yo.

Ladybug's breathing grew heavy, but she pleaded, "Girls, come on! Snap out of it, please! You couldn't've forgotten about our friendship, right? Don't forget, we've always been fighting as a team!"

"Quiet!" Rena Rouge spat.

"You hypocrite, talking about friendship when you've ruined it!" Queen Bee agreed.

"I have faith in our friendship," Ladybug said, standing firm. "And I have faith in the two of you, who came into this place with me to get Adrien out."

The brainwashed angels paused.

"Our friendship's too strong for an akuma to effortlessly ruin it like this," Ladybug began, but the two angels brandished their weapons again. "...Fine. I'm not going to fight back, because I believe in the two of you and our friendship. But if you want me dead, then go ahead and take me down now. I believe in you two!"

 _"Venom Spin!"_ Queen Bee hollered as she shot her top at Ladybug.

 _"Mirage Bombard!"_ Rena Rouge shouted while firing pellets.

"Ladybug, watch out!" Nooroo screamed.

 _'Chloé... Alya...'_ Ladybug thought.

Out of nowhere, a glowing, red barrier was raised around her. It shined brightly, too. It took the onslaught of magic and shot it back at the hypnotized angels twofold. The two girls screamed from the impact of their own attacks being thrown back at them.

"Wow! Ladybug's faith in her friends and their friendship is so strong that it became a shield of pure friendship!" Nooroo gasped, in awe.

Once the shield fell, Ladybug looked at her friends. The fox and bee angels stood up and started shaking off their daze.

"Geez... What's going on? Why was I attacking you like that just now?" Rena Rouge asked.

"What happened while I was out cold?" Queen Bee probed, rubbing her head.

"Queen Bee! Rena!" Ladybug said with a smile.

"The pollen from the plants messed with your senses and showed you illusions of betrayal, but Ladybug's faith in your friendship was enough to protect her _and_ save the two of you!" Nooroo explained.

"Really?" Rena Rouge asked. "I'm sorry that I did that."

"Same here." Queen Bee apologized.

"Don't worry, your actions weren't your own," Ladybug said, happy her friends were back to normal. "Now let's get these plants out of the way."

Ladybug raised up her yo-yo and shouted, _"Ladybug Bridal Blast!"_

After shooting her love wave at all the plants that were in their pathway, they all dissolved into sparkles and went heavenwards.

"We can't stop here! We gotta go get Adrien!" Queen Bee said.

"No kidding," Ladybug said. "Nooroo?"

"This way!" Nooroo ordered as he started flying after the energy trail.

The girls started running after their kwami guide, renewed determination in their eyes. Ladybug had a worried expression on her face as Adrien was still bound to the tree...

* * *

 **Looks like the girls still have work to do to find Adrien!**

 **Next time on Wedding Ladybug, the primary tree in the Akumas' Forest is draining the love waves from the angels, and it's going to take all of Ladybug's power to find Adrien and get him out of Dark Cupid's clutches. But just before the day's done, more unexpected madness comes up during a final confrontation with him.**

 **Time for a sneak peek of an upcoming episode! This time, let's skip ahead and see about... Does episode 35 sound good to you?**

 **The girls were sitting in a train on the way to the to a training camp for the fencing team. Alya was looking out the window of the train, and with a big smile, she said, "Awesome! The scenery out here is beautiful!"**

 **"Yeah, Alya!" Trixx said from inside her hiding place. "And those flowers are just _asking_ for the others to go and frolic in the fields!" **

**"Doesn't that sound lovely, Tikki?" Pollen asked her fellow pollinator kwami, but then the cute little bee noticed something was wrong.**

 **"Um, Alya?" Chloé said, poking Alya's shoulder. Alya turned to the blonde and then noticed Chloé was pointing at Marinette, who was sitting opposite to them.**

 **Marinette was looking _very_ annoyed, angry, and a little sad, too. Her eyes were shut and she was drumming her fingers on the armrest. In the next car of the train, Lila was giggling and garnering attention from all the students on the fencing team. **

**"Marinette," Chloé said, standing up. "Don't go worrying about all of this. Lila's a flirt, yes, but there's no way she'll go and kiss Adrien in the middle of the train, right?"**

 _ **"Kiss Adrien?!"**_ **Marinette shrieked quietly, blushing and her eyes widening in slight jealousy and rage.**

 **Tikki was blushing too, but it was hard to tell because she was naturally red. Nooroo on the other hand, not so much. He was red in the face at the sound of a kiss.**

 **"Cut it out, Chloé," Alya stated. "You're only trying to piss Marinette off."**

 **"Hey, better angry than mopey," Chloé said, sitting back down in her chair. "Marinette's starting to make _me_ feel mopey!"**

 **"Mopey? Me? That girl isn't making me the least bit jealous at all..." Marinette began, but then...**

 **"Wow! Hey Adrien, isn't the snow beautiful?!" Lila said from the next car. Marinette grit her teeth and growled, scowling in envy.**


	16. The Pride of an Akuma!

**The girls are getting closer to finding Adrien and saving him from Dark Cupid, but more trouble starts when the central tree in the forest traps Rena Rouge and Queen Bee. And with Carapace unable to get in and help until later, Ladybug's on her own to find and rescue Adrien. But then it becomes a situation where it isn't just Adrien that Ladybug needs to save...**

 **I think this is going to be a bit of a shorter chapter. Hey, I tried at least.**

* * *

The angels were following Nooroo through the woods in the Akuma's Forest. The trees were still looking identical no matter how far in they went, and Nooroo was still leading the way.

"Hey Nooroo?" Queen Bee asked. "Are you sure Dark Cupid's hidden somewhere nearby?"

"I'm certain of it," Nooroo said, the tail ends of his wings twitching. "I can sense his wicked presence up ahead!"

"Well, this place is really giving off some _pretty spooky_ energy waves." Rena Rouge commented before shuddering.

"I'm beginning to have doubts about your sense of direction, Nooroo." Queen Bee stated before twisting one of the tail ends of his wings to the left.

"Oh! It's coming from over here!" Nooroo said, pointing to the left. "...I think..."

"Really?" Queen Bee asked, crossing her arms.

Nooroo blushed, embarrassed.

" _Aha!_ I _knew_ there was something off about your directions!" Queen Bee spat. "I can't believe that we have an unreliable kwami at a time like this! I'll bet you can't even differentiate between your energy wave and Dark Cupid's, can you?"

Nooroo flew into Ladybug's chest for comfort and sobbed, before saying, "No need to be so mean about it!"

"Queen Bee, stop messing around, and remember that we're Love Angels on a mission!" Ladybug stated. "Adrien's been abducted by Dark Cupid and we need to come to his rescue ASAP!"

"H... Hey, I was only teasing Nooroo a bit, Ladybug." Queen Bee said, a little embarrassed.

"That was some pretty harsh teasing, then." Rena sighed.

"Listen, we need to stay focused on our goal! We've got absolutely _no clue_ what Adrien's suffering from at the hands of Dark Cupid right now! Not a single clue!" Ladybug said, about to cry.

"Okay, okay, I'm sorry! Sheesh," Queen Bee said as she came over to Ladybug and put a hand on her shoulder. "I'm really sorry, so no tears, okay, Ladybug?"

Ladybug gave a nod before saying, "Alright, fine. I won't cry. Let's get back to work."

Once that settled down, the girls kept going. Ladybug was a little ways ahead with Nooroo, while Queen Bee and Rena Rouge were lagging behind a bit.

"It's ridiculous, utterly ridiculous. I mean, I get it. Marinette blames herself for Adrien's capture and imminent perishing," Queen Bee commented. "But crying about it? That's completely nuts."

"Queen Bee, you're a Love Angel, and yet you can't see how Marinette truly feels about Adrien?" Rena Rouge asked.

"What do you mean, Rena? Are you telling me that Lady... No, Marinette's totally smitten with obnoxious ol' Adrien?" Queen Bee questioned.

"It's only in theory," Rena Rouge replied. "I'm sensing a powerful energy wave coming from Ladybug, charged with her desire to help Adrien and get him out of here safely. She couldn't care less about what would happen to her in the process."

Ladybug's face stiffened, and she stopped in her tracks as she sensed something off.

"Ladybug?" Rena Rouge asked.

"What's up, Ladybug?" Queen Bee asked.

Scenes were cutting back and forth in Ladybug's eyes. The cluster of trees in front of them, and Adrien tied to and even larger tree with the pulsating vines. These scenes were rapidly cutting back and forth in Ladybug's eyes.

"Adrien!" Ladybug shouted.

"Ladybug!" Queen Bee hollered.

"Adrien! Adrien!" Ladybug kept calling out, with Queen Bee shaking her to try and bring her back to her senses.

"Ladybug, get a hold of yourself!" Rena Rouge said, snapping her fingers in front of Ladybug's face.

 _"Adrien!"_ Ladybug hollered before breaking away from her friends and running ahead.

"Come on, Queen Bee!" Rena Rouge shouted as she and Queen Bee chased after their leader.

Back at the tree where Adrien was, Dark Cupid was still examining him.

"Vile, cursed, evil... Bow before our wicked power!" Dark Cupid recited. "Evil's power is the only absolute in this world. A world bound by love doesn't have any future."

The vines binding Adrien to the tree were throbbing and pulsating.

"That wave radiating from this boy... Has so many similarities to ours, but at the same time it's so different, and it's completely different from the love waves given off by the angels, too... And yet it has a power that rivals _both_... I've never seen an energy wave like this before." Dark Cupid stated.

A vine ruptured and black sap leaked out. Adrien didn't react. He was still out like a light.

"So, you won't accept the sap of evil that we akumas adore?" Dark Cupid stated again. "Just _who_ is this strange boy?!"

One of the orbs that was in the lair started glowing, and Dark Cupid got a vision of the angels running towards the circle.

"Ah, the Love Angels," Dark Cupid said as the girls stopped next to the protective barrier around them. "Will they be able to find us within this magical protection circle, or will they die in the process?"

"Adrien! Shout if you can hear us!" Ladybug hollered.

"Dark Cupid's energy signature is coming in loud and clear, Love Angels!" Nooroo warned.

"You positive about that, Nooroo?" Marinette asked.

"Yeah, it's like he's right in front of me, or next to me, but I can't see him..." Nooroo elaborated.

"Like hiding in plain sight?" Rena Rouge asked.

"Exactly." Nooroo confirmed.

"This Akumas' Forest is going to be your grave, Love Angels." Dark Cupid stated, smirking.

Vines burst out from the ground and they towered over the angels. They shot themselves at the girls, but they all jumped out of the way.

"What the hell?" Rena Rouge asked.

"More akuma plants?" Queen Bee questioned.

"Focus, girls! Let's get them, angels!" Ladybug shouted as she got her yo-yo out and started to spin it.

 _"Mirage Bombard!"_ Rena Rouge shouted while firing pellets from her flute at the vines.

 _"Venom Spin!"_ Queen Bee hollered as she shot her top.

Unfortunately, both attacks were useless against the vines. They were intact and still moving.

"Crap, not working!" Queen Bee complained.

The vines grabbed Queen Bee and Rena Rouge by their extremities and then they were lifted up. The vines' constriction on the girls' abdomens caused them to turn red in the face from lack of oxygen as they struggled to get free.

"What's going on?!" Ladybug shouted.

"It's the Tree of Evil! It gives the akumas immense power, and to make things worse, it drains all the love waves away from any angel that it comes in contact with! This is a disaster!" Nooroo informed.

"Then I gotta break them out!" Ladybug said, readying her yo-yo.

"Ladybug..." Rena Rouge whispered. "Don't worry about us... Find... Find Adrien and Dark Cupid... Get Adrien out... I know you can do it... Ladybug..."

Rena Rouge's eyes shut and her head slumped forward as she went unconscious.

"Rena Rouge!" Marinette hollered, tears pricking at her eyes.

Her yo-yo beeped and then Ladybug opened it up to show an image of an incoming call from Carapace.

She picked up and said, "Carapace, what's going on?"

"Rena's right, dudette," Carapace said. "You need to break the akumas' protective circle to find the hostage."

"Question is, how?" Ladybug asked as she grew a thoughtful expression.

"The circle's strong, dudette, and as long as it's in one piece, I can't get in and help. It's up to you, Ladybug! Follow your heart and put everything into it, got it?" Carapace advised before hanging up.

"Got it..." Ladybug said. She grew a smile and thought, _'Put everything into my heart!'_

She took a deep breath and started glowing bright red and started radiating a red aura. The aura took the shape of opened ladybug wings around her.

 _'Adrien...'_ Ladybug thought.

In front of her, something started shattering like glass.

Inside the circle, there were tremors starting and Dark Cupid looked around in confusion. Meanwhile, Adrien was out like a light.

"Adrien!" Ladybug shouted.

At that, the entire protective circle crumbled. Dark Cupid had an insane, angry look in his eyes as he saw Ladybug approach him.

 _"NO WAY! How'd you break the circle?!"_ Dark Cupid demanded.

Ladybug was still radiating a red aura around her, and she had a confident smirk and a hand on her hip. She said, "The power of love, always so strong, Dark Cupid."

Ladybug took her yo-yo out and spun it around, shouting, _"Ladybug Bridal Blast!"_

The blast spread around to the tree, bathing Adrien and the angels in its light. In a white flash, the tree disappeared, and wherever Ladybug's love wave touched, the grass was lush and green. Sparkles were raining down on them. Adrien and the angels were lying on the grass, free from the tree's clutches.

"How dare you go and barge into my domain!" Dark Cupid spat. "You'll pay for this!"

"Not on our watch!" Rena Rouge said as she and Queen Bee stood up.

"Let's get him!" Queen Bee hoarsely said as she held her hand to her throat.

"Ready, girls?" Ladybug said.

 _"DIE!"_ Dark Cupid hollered as he ordered more vines to attack.

 _"Mirage Bombard!"_ Rena Rouge shouted, firing illusion pellets.

 _"Venom Spin!"_ Queen Bee shouted as she shot her yo-yo.

This time, the girls' moves broke through the vines, causing them to crumble into pieces and fall to the ground.

"You little...!" Dark Cupid growled.

"Adrien..." Ladybug said as she held Adrien to his feet. "Adrien, get up, please!"

 _"KILL HER!"_ Dark Cupid hollered, ordering the vines to attack.

A green shield flew in and blocked the vines. Carapace leaped in and caught his shield before putting it on his back.

"Great timing, Carapace!" Ladybug said.

"Great work, dudette," Carapace said. "You just leave Dark Cupid and his goons to me and the others. Get that dude to safety."

 _"NOT ON MY WATCH!"_ Dark Cupid snarled, taking out his bow and arrows. He had that insane look in his face again.

"You're not going anywhere!" Rena Rouge said as she and Queen Bee flanked Carapace. They took their weapons out.

"Ladybug, get Adrien out of here!" Queen Bee shouted.

"Right!" Ladybug declared.

"Angels, stand your ground and let's fight!" Carapace said as he held his shield at the ready.

"Yes, sir!" Queen Bee and Rena Rouge declared.

The two opposing sides charged at each other and started fighting. As arrow hit shield, a white light blast created a beam and it shot into the sky.

The scene transitioned to the banks of the Seine. Ladybug and Nooroo somehow teleported all the way there. Adrien was still lying down on the ground and Ladybug had his head propped up.

"Adrien... I'm so sorry about this whole thing," Ladybug began. "This is my fault... It's all my fault that this happened."

Ladybug hugged his head closer to her and said, "This isn't what I wanted! I never wanted you to get wrapped up in all of this mess."

Adrien started to stir at Ladybug's voice.

"I'm pathetic... I should've found a better way to handle this... Stupid, damned Mariboo!" Ladybug muttered, and Adrien's eyes opened a little bit.

"Mariboo...?" Adrien murmured as he regained consciousness.

"Huh?!" Ladybug gasped. She then looked at Adrien and blinked a bit.

Adrien was just silently staring at her, as if he'd never seen her before but she looked familiar to him. Ladybug sweat dropped.

Nooroo hid behind a bench and muttered, "Oh no..."

Ladybug's back was turned, she was sitting on her knees, and her hands were covering her mouth. Adrien was still sitting on the ground.

 _'Oh SHIT! Adrien heard EVERY word that came out of my mouth! This is bad!'_ Ladybug thought, red in the face and totally embarrassed.

"Hey... Is that you, Mariboo?" Adrien asked as he stood up. "It _IS_ you, isn't it, Marinette?"

 _"How?!"_ Nooroo asked, baffled and panicked. "How'd he realize her secret identity?! There's no way he should be able to figure out it's Marinette whenever she's transformed!"

 _'Oh... What do I do?! I gotta throw him off the scent, but... How?! What do I say?!'_ Marinette thought, trying to think of something to blow off Adrien's suspicion.

"What's the matter? Are you okay? And why are you wearing that suit? Mariboo?" Adrien questioned again and again.

Ladybug stood up, turned around, crossed her arms with questioning look and asked, "Who's this "Mariboo" you're talking about?"

Adrien quirked a brow in confusion.

"My name is _Ladybug_ , not this "Mariboo" character," Ladybug said, trying to play it off. "Sounds to me like you have a few screws loose if you're calling me by another girl's name."

Adrien scoffed with a laugh and teased, "Nice try, but with a face like a pufferfish, there's no way you can be anyone _other_ than Mariboo."

Ladybug's shoulders stiffened up, she growled, and rounded on Adrien. She spat, "Hey, who do you think you are, calling me a pufferfish?!"

"See that reaction?" Adrien pointed out with a chuckle and a smile. "That's got Mariboo written all over it."

He gave her a wink and Ladybug blushed under her mask with an awkward smile, realizing that she'd been caught. She face-palmed.

Off to the side, Nooroo was watching in dismay.

"I don't believe this... Adrien found her out..." Nooroo stated, worried.

Back at the factory, the remaining angels decided to patrol the area after their fight. They split up to cover more ground to track the akumas.

Carapace was on top of the smokestack and he was looking around at all the damage, and the proximity of the factory to the city. He couldn't help but think about the events that transpired, especially so close to a human population.

"Crazy... It's crazy to think that akumas can make homes near human dwellings, dude," Carapace commented. "More than disturbing enough, and definitely another reason to be fearful and cautious about their power. It's completely insane."

 _"Carapace!"_ A voice shouted, getting the turtle's attention. Rena Rouge jumped to the adjacent rooftop while Queen Bee used her top.

"What's going on?" Carapace asked as the angels approached.

"I can't find any sign of that idiot Dark Cupid," Rena Rouge said, her arms crossed. "I scanned the whole area, and nothing."

"What about the tree, dude?" Carapace asked.

"Zilch," Queen Bee stated, hands on her hips. "I've scoured the entire perimeter and there's no traces of that thing anywhere."

"Say what?" Carapace stated as his eyes went wide.

"Ladybug's Bridal Blast must've purified it completely or something." Rena Rouge suggested.

"That sounds about right." Carapace muttered, crossing his arms.

At the Seine, Ladybug and Adrien were sitting on the banks of the river.

"I haven't the foggiest idea what's been happening, but I _do_ know that you saved me," Adrien stated. "So, thank you for that."

"Um..." Ladybug began. "I, well..."

"So... who are you, exactly?" Adrien asked.

"Huh? What do you mean?" Ladybug asked.

"Your true identity, I mean," Adrien clarified, before jokingly asking, "You're not a transforming, fighting super heroine like you'd see in a Magical Girls anime or cartoon, right?"

Ladybug gave an uncomfortable laugh at that. He wasn't far off...

"So... what's going on?" Adrien gently asked Ladybug.

Ladybug merely shook her head, refusing to answer.

"What aren't you saying?" Adrien asked again, trying to be gentle so he could glean answers from her.

Ladybug shook her head again.

"Mariboo..." Adrien began, beginning to get frustrated.

"Please stop asking me things like this," Ladybug started, causing Adrien to pause. "I don't know a thing, and even if I _did_ know any information at all, I wouldn't tell you about it. It doesn't matter how nicely you ask me or _how much_ you ask me. I'm not gonna answer. And no matter how much I know... I can't, Adrien!"

"You're a stubborn one, aren't you?" Adrien asked, his facial expression relaxing.

"Yeah, I'm a stubborn one. So stubborn that even _I_ find it unbelievable..." Ladybug admitted. Tears were pricking at her eyes. "I... I'm so stubborn that I fear for your safety and your life. That's why the less you know, the better. We can't have you falling any further into this madness. That's... Why I can't say anything to you."

Ladybug turned her face away from Adrien and wiped her tears. Adrien put a hand on her shoulder and said, "Don't worry about it."

Ladybug turned to him and blinked a bit.

"I won't ask any more questions," Adrien said with a smile. "You've said your piece, and now I need to respect your decision."

The two of them had a quiet moment for a second. Adrien smiling at Ladybug, and Ladybug looking at him in awe and gratitude. But then she remembered the situation at hand.

"Wait, what am I doing?" Ladybug muttered to herself. "Listen, Adrien, I need to take off."

She stood up, getting a questioning look from him got ready to leave.

 _"Nooroo!"_ Ladybug called out for the purple kwami.

"I'm right here, m'lady!" Nooroo said as he came out from hiding behind the bench and flew to Ladybug, garnering a smile from the angel.

"What is he? Your pet or something like that? Or a genie from a bottle?" Adrien asked.

"I'm no genie, but I'm not her pet either." Nooroo politely said, giving Adrien the stink-eye.

"Hey Nooroo, can you get Adrien to the other side of Paris, or somewhere else out of harm's way, and make sure that he's alright? My instincts are telling me that Dark Cupid's not down for the count quite yet." Ladybug requested.

"Count on me, Ladybug!" Nooroo replied with a smile.

"Hey, what's all of this about dark cocoa and noodles or something?" Adrien asked as he stood up.

"Adrien, you promised not to pry, remember?" Ladybug scolded, crossing her arms.

"Oh, right. Sorry." Adrien admitted, remembering his promise.

Nooroo's tail ends twitched and he shouted, "We've got trouble! Dark Cupid's approaching the area as we speak!"

Ladybug grew determined and took out her yo-yo, ready to fight. An akuma energy blast shot from behind.

 _"LOOK OUT!"_ Adrien shouted as he pushed himself in front of Ladybug and took the blow. He fell to the ground, once again unconscious.

"Adrien!" Ladybug shouted.

"Did you _honestly_ think you could run?!" Dark Cupid asked as he flew in the air.

"Dark Cupid!" Ladybug spat as she started spinning her yo-yo.

"Love Angel... I'm going to crush you and your worthless friends _for good!_ " Dark Cupid declared, his voice filled with determined rage and a snarl on his face

"Be on your guard, Ladybug, something's unusual about Dark Cupid this time!" Nooroo warned.

"What are you talking about, Nooroo?" Ladybug asked.

Dark Cupid's black aura was radiating from him, swelling with it.

"The evil energy he's radiating is at higher levels than I've ever seen from him before..." Nooroo commented as he couldn't take his eyes off his former owner.

"What...? Why would...?" Ladybug asked, trying to figure out Dark Cupid.

"Is it possible that..." Nooroo began, but then his eyes widened when the conclusion in his mind popped up. "...He plans on dying?"

 _"Say what?"_ Ladybug asked in shock. "Plans on _dying?!_ "

Dark Cupid fired another blast at Ladybug. She held her yo-yo shield up. The blast landed a direct hit, but Ladybug's defense was strong enough that she could take it for a few seconds. The force of the blast slowly pushed her back. But Dark Cupid put in more power and then it knocked her off her feet. She was hit and blasted away.

"Ladybug!" Nooroo shouted as she landed on her stomach nearby. Ladybug got back up on her knees and kept her yo-yo going.

"I'm good. Get Adrien to safety!" Ladybug ordered Nooroo.

"Count on me!" Nooroo said as he flew over to Adrien.

"Doesn't matter _how_ many times you knock me over, Dark Cupid! No matter what happens, I _WILL_ get back up again!" Ladybug declared as she stood back up on her feet, a determined look on her face.

He gave a malicious chuckle before firing another blast at Ladybug. But she jumped up and kicked him right in the stomach before using her yo-yo to wrap his torso, and throw him down into the ground.

She landed back on the ground before spinning her yo-yo again, taking tentative steps towards her opponent.

Dark Cupid got back up, glaring at Ladybug.

Nooroo struggled to pull Adrien away, but the kwami's size made it difficult.

Ladybug and Dark Cupid were now having a stare-down contest and were glaring at each other. She had her yo-yo ready, meanwhile he had his arrows ready.

Thunder and lightning flashed and the sky, ground, and water turned purple and creepy.

 _"Dark Cupid, you have_ got _to be the most deplorable akuma in history."_ A voice echoed as the towering figure of Mayura faded in.

"Q... Queen Mayura, is that you?!" Dark Cupid asked, his eyes wide with fear and shock.

"Queen Mayura?!" Ladybug asked as her eyes widened.

 _"Indeed. I am the akumas' ruler. Up to now, Love Angel, you've been a success at foiling our plans. For that, I have to give you credit. But that ends now."_ Mayura calmly stated.

Ladybug took a few steps back, a cold sweat beading down her face.

 _"I'll grant you the peaceful, quick, painlessness that comes with your ruination,"_ Mayura began before letting out a brief smirk. _"And that goes for you too, Dark Cupid."_

"What?!" Dark Cupid asked, shocked.

 _"But you can relax. I've found the proper place for you to experience your ultimate devastation."_ Mayura began.

"No! Please, Queen Mayura!" Dark Cupid begged.

 _"Go, and bring Ladybug with you into the vortex of destruction,"_ Mayura stated as she opened up a portal flanked by feathers. Inside that hole, demonic faces and monsters writhed and roared. It gave Ladybug chills, and Dark Cupid didn't like it either. _"You without shape or form. The unborn. Welcome Ladybug into your darkness!"_

Wind started sucking into the vortex, bringing leaves and branches from nearby trees, some water from the river, and other debris inside the hole. Ladybug held her stance and anchored herself to the ground.

 _"Dark Cupid, show me your loyalty one last time!"_ Mayura said as she faded away, leaving the vortex.

The vortex's sucking power got stronger. Dark Cupid stood there for a few seconds, his face blank with shock at Mayura's orders.

He scowled and said, "Watch me, Queen Mayura! I'll show you the pride of an akuma that throbs within my dark heart!"

He snagged Ladybug by the waist and started going into the vortex.

"Ladybug!" Nooroo shouted.

 _'Adrien...'_ Ladybug thought as she saw her unconscious peer on the ground. _"NO~!"_

She screamed, broke free from Dark Cupid's grasp, and she used her yo-yo to snag a lamp post while holding on to Dark Cupid's wrist.

"Wh-Why?!" Dark Cupid questioned.

"Ladybug! Dark Cupid!" Nooroo shouted after them.

"Why are you trying to save me from this?!" Dark Cupid asked.

"It beats me," Ladybug stated. "But all I really know is that seeing you go into that thing would hurt my feelings!"

Dark Cupid's look softened.

"It's just too cruel, the way Mayura treated you like you're expendable, how she basically told you to commit suicide for her!" Ladybug explained. The lamp post started to bend a bit. "Don't get me wrong, we're enemies and all and I can't let you steal the love waves or the Miraculous Something Four... but you're a tenacious akuma that doesn't quit! That's a quality that doesn't deserve to be thrown out like trash!"

"You peabrain!" Dark Cupid spat. "You're being fooled again by that stupid illusion called "love!" That's why it was so easy for the akumas to invade the angel world, and why the Miraculous Something Four were sent down here to the human realm to begin with!"

The lamp post bent some more.

"Ladybug... Dark Cupid..." Nooroo wept, tears about to leak out of his face.

"The hatred of an akuma is an invincible power compared that of an angel's love!" Dark Cupid hissed. "Go ahead and worry about your love, Ladybug, but as you are, I'm taking you into the vortex of destruction _with_ me!"

He snagged her wrist with his other hand and tried yanking her away. Ladybug cringed in pain while he smirked in triumph.

"Ladybug, don't bother! He's never going to understand the love you offer him as an angel!" Nooroo pleaded.

"I don't think so!" Ladybug stated. "Carapace has said it, I've said it, and you've said it, too: the power of love, always so strong! Don't forget, you were once a hateful akumas' pet!"

Nooroo paused, understanding Ladybug's point of view.

"I _know_ that the love wave can touch Dark Cupid, too! I know it!" Ladybug said.

Sparkling tears flew past Dark Cupid's face. He saw that while she was smiling with determination, Ladybug was shedding tears. Tears of care... For _his_ sake.

He gave a resigned smile and said, "You... You're a _really_ foolish creature, Ladybug."

He let go of Ladybug's wrist and let the force of the vortex pull him in.

"No! Dark Cupid!" Ladybug shouted.

 _"Dark Cupid!"_ Nooroo hollered.

Just as he was about to pass into the vortex, Dark Cupid threw something at Ladybug: Sabine's ring. Ladybug caught it in her hand, but she could only watch in grief. Dark Cupid was sucked in, with him giving an expression that seemed like was at peace with his fate. The vortex closed, and the sky went back to normal. Apparently a few hours had passed, for the sky had gotten a bit darker.

Ladybug looked at the ring in her hand and she asked, "Dark Cupid... Why?!"

She looked into the sky, and she was grieving over the fact that Dark Cupid had to perish... All while knowing that was the last she'd ever see of her adversary... Even though she tried to save him, too.

Meanwhile, Rena Rouge gasped a bit and said, "Ladybug..."

"What's up, Rena?" Queen Bee asked.

"I... I can feel Ladybug's heart... It's grieving. She's crying." Rena Rouge stated with a worried expression on her face.

Back at the river, the sun was beginning to set, and Ladybug was on her knees with Adrien sleeping against her legs again.

"Looks like I wrapped you up in all of this again, huh Adrien?" Ladybug questioned the sleeping boy. "I... I'm so sorry."

 _"HEY~!"_ Queen Bee hollered as she and Rena Rouge were traveling all the way to their leader's position.

"Ladybug, what's going on?" Rena asked as she and Queen Bee approached Ladybug.

Ladybug explained everything that transpired, and she even added in another part that surprised her allies.

"Seriously?! You asked Carapace to do that?" Queen Bee asked.

"Yep," Ladybug said with a nod. "He's just going to erase Adrien's memories for the last few days."

"Are you sure this is what you want?" Rena Rouge questioned.

"Yeah! I mean, come on, making him forget is ridiculous, utterly ridiculous! The two of you were getting along like peaches and cream! At least keep this going until he smooches you or something!" Queen Bee teased.

"Smooches me? Very funny, Queen Bee," Ladybug said while crossing her arms and hiding her blush. "He's constantly teasing me, calling me pufferfish or Marifish! He's _really_ not all that and honestly, he's annoying!"

"You don't say?" Rena teased.

"Yes, I say! I don't know where you get the idea that he and I are going to make out, because honestly, that's gonna happen when hell freezes over!" Ladybug insisted.

Meanwhile, Carapace was hanging out and watching the angels with a smile, satisfied with the outcome.

"Is that how you really feel? Relationships can be really complicated sometimes." Rena Rouge suggested.

"Yep..." Ladybug said as she looked over to Carapace and gave him a thumb's up.

* * *

 **Alright, that's the end for Dark Cupid. That's right, he's not coming back** ** _._** **No more trouble from him, and Marinette's got her mother's ring back, but this story isn't over yet. We're not even halfway finished here!**

 **And yes, I had Adrien forget about the whole thing. ^_^ Sorry, he'll learn for good a lot later down the line, but for now the status quo remains! _*Giggles*_ But don't forget to pay attention to anything unusual that happens to Adrien from here on out! It'll be important. **

**Coming up, you'd think that the girls would finally be able to breathe easy for a bit now that Dark Cupid's gone, but you'd be wrong. Now they're confronted with not one akuma, not two akumas, but** ** _three!_** **That's right,** ** _three akumas_** **fight the angels at their own school, and it's overwhelming for Ladybug and her team. How are they going to get out of this one?**

 **Preview time! Let's see about episode... Episode 22, okay?**

 **In the castle in the Angel realm, Carapace was in audience with Master Fu.**

 **"Carapace, seeing you watch over the angels from both shadow and light makes me feel quite at ease." Master Fu said as he was sitting on a couch and talking with Carapace.**

 **"Master Fu, I don't deserve those words, dude," Carapace responded. "The girls grow stronger every single day, and each one of them has retrieved one of the Miraculous Something Four. Only one piece left."**

 **"Indeed. The protective barrier around our realm has gotten stronger thanks to finding three out of four of the items. That said, this could provide more incentive for the akumas to attack. We must be on alert."**

 **"Yes, dude." Carapace agreed.**

 **"We need to find the last of the Miraculous Something Four," Master Fu stated. "For I fear..."  
**

 **"Yes, Master Fu?" Carapace asked.**

 **"I fear that the girls are going to have to face even more brutal hurdles than previously..." Master Fu admitted.**

 **Carapace grew a severe expression.**


	17. Francois-Dupont Campus's Secret!

**Today on Wedding Ladybug,** ** _just_** **when the girls thought they could relax for a little while, they're attacked at school not by one, but by** ** _three_** **akumas at once! You heard me: three! Stormy Weather, Princess Fragrance and Frightningale! The angels are overwhelmed by the onslaught, but can they power through the fight as always?**

* * *

Marinette was walking to school, wearing her ring as if nothing was wrong. Everything was back to normal... Well, normal for _her_. Dark Cupid was destroyed by Mayura, so now there was a bit of peace and quiet for Marinette to enjoy.

 _'Nice day out,'_ Marinette thought as she looked at the sky, that only had a few clouds, and the sun was shinning brightly. _'It's like there's no akuma-angel war happening.'_

Adrien's family car pulled up against the curb and then the blonde got out of the car. He looked to Marinette and waved, saying, "Morning, Mariboo!"

"Ah, Adrien, good morning." Marinette stammered as he approached her. Her eyes fell to her feet.

"Something wrong?" Adrien asked.

"I... I was gonna ask _you_ that," Marinette asked. "How... How are you feeling?"

"I'm feeling fine," Adrien confirmed. "Thanks for checking in on me."

"You're welcome," Marinette began. "So... I guess you know everything, huh?"

"Huh? Know everything about _what?_ " Adrien asked, quirking a brow.

"About me being... Oh, um... Actually, nothing," Marinette said, realizing Adrien's memory was blank. "Nothing at all. Just a nutty dream. I mean... I guess I need to learn how to be fully awake before school days."

"Yeah, you're right," Adrien muttered. "I don't want you to get hurt. I'll see you later."

Adrien walked into the school yard, leaving Marinette behind.

"No point worrying about him, Marinette." Tikki said as she and Nooroo peeked out.

"You're right, Tikki," Marinette agreed. "Carapace told me that he erased Adrien's memory like a chalkboard - totally blank."

"Right, so why waste energy on him?" Nooroo added.

"Right." Marinette muttered as she started walking to her class.

"Marinette!" A voice shouted from behind her. Marinette turned around to see Alya and Chloé were running up towards her. "Morning!"

"Morning, girls," Marinette greeted. "I got some more sketches done for the fashion blog last night."

"That's great," Alya said. "I got some research done for the blog, too."

"I looked through my closet for accessories, too. Talk about cramming to much in too little time." Chloé added.

"Yeah, and with all that homework we had to do, it was nearly impossible," Marinette commented. "I'm surprised I got it all done _and_ came up with some designs for the blog."

"That's good," Alya agreed. "And on top of _everything else_ , I'm surprised we haven't gone mad from the stress by now."

The girls nodded, all agreeing with Alya.

"Let's just hope we don't get another homework pile today," Chloé muttered. "We have enough work to do, and it goes without saying that the fashion blog isn't the only thing I mean."

The girls knew what Chloé meant. They all grumbled in annoyance, with Marinette saying, "Let's just hope for some peace and quiet _today_ at least."

They all murmured in agreement as the group went inside the school to get ready for the day.

In the akuma realm, Mayura was having an audience with another akuma - Dark Cupid's replacement. He had pink dreadlocks, a purple guitar on his back, and had a pink dragon-crocodile monster next to him, too.

"So long as the Miraculous Something Four exist, the worlds will continue to have nothing but loving hearts. But we'll get rid of those loving hearts and enslave every single angel in existence," Mayura began, addressing her new servant. "Dark Cupid was an incompetent dolt. Since he's gone, I'm passing on his mission to you. Go to the human world, retrieve the Miraculous Something Four, and while you're at it, _destroy the Love Angels!_ "

"Yes! I, Guitar Villain, won't let you down!" Guitar Villain said as he zapped off to parts unknown.

In a greenhouse like part in the realm was a girl with green skin, pink eyes and hair, with a perfume bottle gun and working with some of the flowers she had on hand. She was wearing primarily black, too.

"Really?! Go to the human realm with you?! Sounds like so much fun!" She said, jumping up and down in place while giggling in delight. "I'll find the Miraculous Something Four in no time at all! So please, please, please let me come with you, Guitar Villain!"

"I'm relying on you, Princess Fragrance." Guitar Villain said.

"I swear to make you proud, Guitar Villain!" Princess Fragrance squealed in delight.

In another area, a girl with long blonde hair with pigtails, eyes in two different colors, wearing a particular flashy outfit, and carrying a whip was dancing.

"Please tell me you're not joking with this girl. You want me to go with you to the human world?" She asked while continuing her dancing.

"Are you in or out, Frightningale?" Guitar Villain asked.

"Guitar Villain, are you maniacal?! Thanks to your invitation, I don't feel lackadaisical!" Frightningale said with a smile and spin in her step.

In an area that was cloudy with thunderstorms, Guitar Villain was talking with another girl. She was in a navy blue dress with a matching parasol, had a black butterfly mask over her face, and her hair was lavender purple with black spirals in her pigtails.

"What do you say, Stormy Weather?" Guitar Villain asked.

She smiled wickedly and said, "Easy breezy."

Guitar Villain's face was faded over the realm of the akumas. He said, "Our victory's a shoo-in with a team like this!"

He then cackled evilly in anticipated triumph.

Back in the human realm...

 _"ENOUGH EVERYONE!"_ A teacher shouted: Mlle. Mendeleiev. She had purple hair and sharp, angular features, blue eyes and glasses, wearing a lab coat. "This is hardly appropriate behavior for students your age!"

Apparently someone brought in paint and there was a big fight in the classroom, with paint being thrown around everywhere, people were getting splattered, and when Mendeleiev came in and saw the commotion, she hollered at everyone to stop.

Marinette was outside the classroom, covered in paint and cleaning up the windows from the outside.

" _Why_ is Mlle. Mendeleiev making me clean windows from the outside when I tried to break up the whole thing? I even ducked under the desk, but paint _still_ got on my clothes." Marinette complained as she was wiping the windows down.

"Paint didn't get on the outside of the windows either," Tikki commented. "It makes no sense."

"She's just strict like that, Tikki." Marinette replied.

"Sounds like she wants to make sure bystanders know that they're just as guilty." Nooroo commented.

The kwamis hid when they heard someone coming before hiding.

"Hey Mariboo, what are you doing?" Adrien asked as he saw Marinette wiping the windows.

"Adrien," Marinette said. "Just washing the windows. Mlle Mendeleiev went off on everyone for a paint fight."

"You, getting involved in a paint fight?" Adrien asked. "Well... That explains the yellow on your pants. It doesn't look right."

"At least they're not acrylic paints, so I can wash them out later," Marinette spat. "And FYI, I tried to stop it, but when that didn't work, I took cover under the desk, and I _still_ got paint on me."

"Oof, doesn't sound like fun," Adrien said as he shuddered. "Well, do your best to clean up the whole school if Mendeleiev makes you."

Marinette rolled her eyes as she watched Adrien saunter away.

She grumbled, "That little... Ugh, how annoying."

"What's annoying, Marinette?" Mlle. Mendeleiev asked, hands on her hips as she stood behind her.

"Oh, um, nothing, Mlle," Marinette said, paying attention to her teacher. "What can I do for you?"

"Since you were out here cleaning the windows, I thought it'd be fair to tell you what you missed, especially since you were trying to stop the chaos in there," Mlle. Mendeleiev stated. "Your next assignment is a research paper on a notable scientist. I thought that since physics isn't your strong point, I'm giving you the option of choosing your topic. You need to cover the person's background, field of study, and any other notable details, including their most notable accomplishments."

"Got it, Mlle," Marinette said. "Is there anything else I need to know?"

"No, but I expect you to be working on this assignment after school today. I don't want you wasting time on the fashion club and procrastinating on this, is that clear?" Mendeleev stated.

"Clear as crystal." Marinette said with a nod, but she wasn't amused at the idea of a research paper. She already had a load of work to do, and none of it was even school-related.

Alya, Chloé, and the kwamis were working on the next blog post.

"Hey girls," Marinette said as she came in. Once the door was closed, the kwamis came out of hiding. "Listen, I'm not gonna be able to help out today."

"What's up, Marinette?" Alya asked as she and Chloé turned around.

"Listen, Mendeleiev dumped a huge research paper on me and I don't think she'd be happy with me slacking on it by working on the club. I _want_ to help with the blog and all..." Marinette began.

"Hey, Mendeleiev gave us that huge paper to do, too," Alya complained. "Chloé and I can finish up in here and then we'll meet you in the library and we can start working on our papers together."

"Thanks, girls," Marinette said. "Come on, Tikki, Nooroo, let's get going."

The kwamis ducked back into Marinette's bag and then the girl started making her way to the library.

Meanwhile, Guitar Villain and his cohorts made their hideout in Montparnasse Tower.

"Lord Guitar Villain, if I find the Miraculous Something Four, you need to try out all of my perfumes for an entire day, okay?" Princess Fragrance said to her.

"Princess Fragrance, you won't find them! No way! _I'm_ the one who'll find the Miraculous Something Four, okay?!" Frightningale barked, jumping in. "Guitar Villain, this is what I have to ask you! If I find the Miraculous Something Four, you owe me a jam session, just me and you!"

"Fine fine," Guitar Villain said, leaning up against his spot. He turned to Stormy Weather. "And you, Stormy Weather? What would you like?"

"For my reward? I'll figure that out once everything's said and done and we have the Miraculous Something Four." Stormy Weather replied.

"Alright, then," Guitar Villain said. "Now, you'll all get your requests if you get the Miraculous Something Four, but I want you to keep this in mind: regardless of your own desires, you three need to work together as one unit like the Love Angels do. Is that clear?"

"You got it!" "Count on us!" "Understood!" The three female akumas said as they all flew out of their hideout and went off to hunt for the Miraculous Something Four.

The pink croc-dragon creature growled from beside Guitar Villain.

"Hah," Guitar Villain scoffed. "I'm not gonna fulfill my end of the bargain. These three only do the job if they have some incentive to do it."

Frightningale was jumping across the rooftops, using her whip to swing around, and she said, "I'll find the Miraculous Something Four! I know this for sure!"

While foul weather was moving in, back in the library at the school, Marinette was scouring the science section of the library in the school.

There was a large mural on the far wall, too, made of ceramics tiles.

"Let's see... Curie, Curie... Aha, Marie Curie!" Marinette said as she found more print books on the shelves. She also found several e-book sources on her tablet. "Man, ten books in total, and now I gotta narrow it all down..."

"Wow, I can't believe your teacher wants you to use all these sources for _one_ paper," Nooroo stated. "And how many pages did she want?"

"Five at least," Marinette said as she started flipping through one of the books. "Including proper citations, double-spacing, a works cited page, yada yada..."

"Isn't that a bit too much pressure?" Tikki asked. "It sounds like she's asking a lot out of you."

"I heard some school papers at universities need to be a minimum of ten pages, maybe longer," Marinette replied. "So I guess as far as Mlle. is concerned, five minimum, not including the works cited page, is nothing."

"Then we'd better get cracking before more akumas come after us." Nooroo said.

"Yep." Marinette agreed.

Thunder clapped and lightning flashed outside, causing Marinette to jump and scream in fear. The kwamis were startled, too. She bumped into the shelving unit and most of the books fell over her as she fell on her rear.

"Ow..." Marinette grumbled, rubbing her lower back.

Two shadows started approaching and lightning flashed again. Scared that they were akumas, Marinette began to scream, _"Lucky Wedding-!"_

"Chill out, girl!" Alya shouted. The lightning faded to reveal Alya and Chloé, with their kwamis.

"It's only us, Duchess Marinette." Pollen commented.

"Sorry," Marinette said, breathing a sigh of relief as she stood up. "So, what's going on?"

"We're not just here to start the research paper, but to ask you for a little help." Alya began.

"Sure thing, what can I help you out with?" Marinette asked as she picked up all the books that she gathered up for her research.

"You mentioned that you had a few sketches for the blog, right? Think we could get them for the post?" Trixx asked.

"Of course," Marinette said as she turned around to get her backpack. "Let me get them out."

But she bumped her foot into another book, and it flipped open to a page that had a picture of the campus in its early years.

"Hey, check this out," Alya said as she knelt down and picked the book up. "It's the town almanac."

"Shouldn't we put that away?" Chloé asked.

But Alya's eyes looked it over, and then she looked up to her friends.

"No, something tells me we need to look into this. Could be important." Alya said to her friends and the kwamis.

"What could be so important?" Marinette asked.

"I don't know, but my instincts are telling me to read the book." Alya stated.

"Well, let's let Alya get her curiosity sated." Trixx proposed.

"Whatever," Chloé complained. "The sooner we read the book, the sooner we can start on that paper."

The trio and their kwamis went over to a table to read up on it.

"'About a hundred years ago on a summer evening, a strange event happened. A downpour of light, called 'La Douche Légère' fell upon the city of Paris...'" Alya began, reading it aloud.

The scene changed to lights falling onto the city, but the lights were more concentrated around the incomplete campus.

"'...And it was falling especially heavy on the campus of François-Dupont, which was still under construction at the time, surrounding the area with a flood of the light. Afterwords, an investigation was conducted and recorded in the light shower report, but to this day, no one could pinpoint the cause of this phenomenon.' That's all that it says." Alya said, wrapping up.

"A light shower falling here on François-Dupont campus?" Chloé asked.

"And there's still no clues about how it happened? Talk about strange..." Marinette began, but Alya let out a gasp of epiphany.

"I think I have a hunch of what caused it," Alya began as she put the book down. "I'll bet there's a connection between the light shower and the Miraculous Something Four Carapace told us about!"

"A connection between the light shower and the Miraculous Something Four? Could that be true?" Marinette asked her kwamis.

"It's plausible," Nooroo said. "What do you think, Tikki?"

"I don't think it's that farfetched either." Tikki agreed.

"You mean..." Chloé began.

"Then everything about the angel realm being invaded by akumas and how Master Fu sent the Miraculous Something Four down here for safeguarding..." Marinette began.

The girls' eyes widened with a gasp, realizing that it could be true.

Outside, above the school building, Frightningale was scanning the area.

"I can feel a powerful love wave pour. I'm sure that they're here: the Miraculous Something Four." Frightningale said as she smiled.

"Think about it, girls!" Alya stated as another lightning bolt tore through the sky and the flash highlighted the mural. "The love waves here on and around campus are extremely powerful, aren't they? They're easily detected by the akumas."

"Now that you mention it, Alya..." Chloé began, realizing the reporter's theory made some sense.

"If that's the case, maybe it's because the love waves that are from _here_ are somehow connected to the angel realm itself!" Alya theorized, and another lightning strike flashed, highlighting the mural again. "And if the love waves _are_ connected to the angel realm, then maybe it's because the Miraculous Something Four radiate love waves _themselves!_ "

"Are you saying that the Miraculous Something Four could be _here?_ At the school?" Tikki asked.

"Only in theory." Alya admitted.

"You might be on to something," Marinette said to Alya. "There _have_ been numerous akuma attacks around campus."

"Then what are we doing hanging around in the library? We should go hunting for the Miraculous Something Four right-" Trixx started.

A loud scream tore through the air, getting the girls' attention.

"Or maybe not. Sounds like some sort of commotion is going on outside." Tikki muttered.

"Let's check it out. Come on!" Chloé said and the girls dashed out of the library.

Outside, Frightningale was cracking her whip on the buildings on campus, causing them to glow pink and for everyone inside to start dancing like crazy and rhyming. Those that refused to do either turned into metallic pink statues.

And she was frequently asking aloud about where the Miraculous Something Four were. She was almost frantic and unhealthily determination combined with anger and frustration on her face. She kept cracking her whip everywhere, not caring about the people she hit.

The girls ran out out the library and into the courtyard. They all gasped at the sight of the students, teachers, and staff that had turned into statues.

"What on Earth is going on?!" Nooroo asked as he and the others flew out of hiding.

"How dreadful..." Pollen stated.

"Looks like we've got akuma trouble again." Alya said, heaving a sigh.

" _Just_ when we thought we were gonna get a break!" Chloé complained.

Marinette turned around and said, "No time for whining, everyone. We've got work to do. Let's go!"

Chloé and Alya gave a firm nod.

 _"Lucky Wedding Flower!" "Cunning Wedding Flower!" "Growing Wedding Flower!" "Bridal Change! Wedding Dress Transform!" "Angel Creation Ladybug!" "Angel Illusion Rena Rouge!" "Angel Subjection Queen Bee!"_

Going from human to angel, and then angels in dresses to battle suits, the girls got their weapons out and started to run into action.

"I want the Miraculous Something Four _today!_ So _where the hell are they?!"_ Frightningale shouted as she cracked her whip at the library portion of the school.

The section kept glowing yellow as a very strong love wave radiated from the mural inside the library.

"Well, well, looks like my love wave senses are tingling. The Miraculous Something Four's gotta be in that building!" Frightningale spoke before leaping to the library.

She burst in through the door and cracked her whip, knocking several bookshelves down, making a _huge_ crashing noise, scattering books everywhere, and even some of the shelves broke from impact.

Frightningale saw the mural on the wall and she smirked, asking aloud, "Is this it? It's gotta be! The Miraculous Something Four will belong to _ME!_ "

She cracked her whip against the mural and the tiles started shattering and falling on the ground.

"Stop right there!" Someone shouted.

A yellow and striped top came wrapped itself around Frightningale's forearm.

"Who do you think you are, destroying that mural the seniors made?!" Queen Bee hollered, holding her top string.

"That symbolizes the friendship that the entire senior class shares!" Rena Rouge shouted as she held out her flute.

"You three Love Angels? Damn, you suck! Time for you three to _shut up!_ " Frightningale sang while cracking the whip.

"Incoming!" Nooroo shouted.

Ladybug blocked with her yo-yo and the three girls leaped out of the way.

"We'd better take this fight outside. Come on!" Rena commented as the trio ran out of the library.

Frightningale cracked the whip again, and the girls ducked out of the way again by jumping.

A huge cloud of pink perfume came out of the sky and engulfed the girls. They started coughing and covering their mouths and noses from the overwhelming, flowery scent. They all fell to the ground, gasping for fresh air.

"What was that?!" Queen Bee coughed. "I get that ladybugs and bees like flowers and the scent of them, but _that_ was too much!"

While the girls were laying down and trying to catch their breath, Princess Fragrance landed on the ground in a cloud of perfume while Stormy Weather flew down, parasol in hand.

"Princess Fragrance and Stormy Weather?! Leave me alone! This will go much faster if I'm on my own!" Frightningale stated.

"You're not taking _our_ victory all by yourself, Frightningale!" Princess Fragrance retorted with a smirk.

"Yeah, Frightningale!" Stormy agreed, smiling.

"Out of my way, you two! I'll get the Miraculous Something Four, and I don't need you!" Frightningale spoke before running back into the library.

"Hey, you're not getting your hands on the Miraculous Something Four if I have anything to say about it!" Princess Fragrance shouted before blasting her perfume gun for propulsion.

Stormy Weather flew after her fellow akumas.

Frightningale cracked her whip against the mural again and created a giant hole in it and the base of the frame was exposed. Stormy Weather flew up to examine it, and she gasped in shock.

"Hey! The Miraculous Something Four isn't here!" Stormy Weather stated in frustration.

"Of course it is! I sensed love waves! If you're doubting me, then you must be insane!" Frightningale insisted.

"Hahahaha! Oh, Frightningale, you really screwed up this one!" Princess Fragrance laughed.

"Hey, I know what's going on! The Love Angels out there are trying to pull a con!" Frightningale declared. "My hiding the Miraculous Something Four, which is _not cool_ , in front of Guitar Villain, they're planning on making me look like a fool!"

Frightningale flew out of the library in a rage, with Princess Fragrance and Stormy Weather gawking at her in surprise.

The angels were still on the ground, heaving for air and trying to recover.

"You okay?" Ladybug asked, her voice husky from lack of air.

"Could be better." Rena Rouge gasped.

"The flower scents are nice, but that was overkill! Ridiculous, utterly ridiculous!" Queen Bee wheezed.

"Catch your breath, girls! We've got akumas to fight!" Ladybug stated as she tried to stand up.

Frightningale confronted the girls and she readied her whip. She was about to crack it when Princess Fragrance put a hand in front of Frightningale, stopping her.

"Hang on, songbird," Princess Fragrance said as she and Stormy Weather stood by Frightningale. "Don't forget what Lord Guitar Villain told us. He said, "Regardless of your own desires, you three need to work together as one unit like the Love Angels do," and that means no tying each other down or one-upping each other."

"She's right." Stormy Weather agreed.

"Remember, this prize is for all three of us! Let's unite and kill off the Love Angels once and for all!" Princess Fragrance stated.

"You heard what she said, and I won't lie! You three Love Angels have to die!" Frightningale declared before throwing the whip to the air.

Princess Fragrance shot a perfume blast into the sky while Stormy Weather started to create storm clouds and using her parasol, she shot lightning up to the sky, too.

The clouds flashed and lightning shot back down onto the girls. Though it was magical lightning, the girls felt the shocking electricity course through their bodies. They were screaming in pain, while struggling to stand up all the while.

"R-R-Re... Rena... Queen Bee! Hold your ground!" Ladybug shouted, her voice filled with pain as if it hurt to talk.

Right in front of the angels appeared a monster that looked like a bunch of lollipops were built to look like a giant person.

"Destroy the Love Angels!" Princess Fragrance ordered.

The monster swung one of its arms and slammed it against the angels, throwing them back a little ways away. Ladybug landed in a tree, Rena Rouge was on her back on the ground, and Queen Bee was on her stomach next to her.

Ladybug jumped down from the tree, but she was so dizzy from the impact that she stumbled and landed on her butt.

The monster lunged at the girls and bashed them with its hands again, scattering the angels around the ground.

The monster was about to smash its limbs on the girls again when a green shield covered the angels. It created a giant barrier with a green hexagon pattern. The monster couldn't break through the barrier and then the rebound threw it back.

The akumas stared on in confusion, meanwhile the angels were sitting up. Their suits were created to make them nearly invulnerable to damage, but getting thrown around like a bunch of balls still hurt.

The shield's barrier vanished and then its owner jumped down before retrieving it.

 _"Carapace!"_ The angels shouted in delight.

"You know what they say: it's always darkest before the dawn!" Nooroo said, happy for the backup.

"You akumas that have the balls to mess around in this place, _make like bananas and split!"_ Carapace shouted before throwing his shield again. The akumas scattered to dodge it.

Carapace caught his shield once more before turning back to the angels.

"Rise up, Love Angels! Send these stupid akumas running for the hills, dude!" Carapace said.

 _"Right!"_ The angels said before standing up, ready to fight.

 _"Mirage Bombard!"_ Rena Rouge shouted before playing her flute and throwing illusion pellets at the lollipop creature, knocking the monster down and blinding it with illusions of love and caring, grossing the creature out.

 _"Venom Spin!"_ Queen Bee hollered while shooting her top at the lollipop monster, paralyzing it.

"Ladybug, you're up!" Rena Rouge shouted.

"Got it!" Ladybug said, getting her yo-yo out. _"Ladybug Bridal Blast!"_

After firing a white love wave at the lollipop beast and then it vanished in a burst of sparkles.

"Ugh, I'll just get bored if there's no Miraculous Something Four!" Frightningale complained before leaving.

"She's right. No point sticking around!" Stormy Weather agreed. Princess Fragrance blew a raspberry at the angels before following them.

"Everyone okay?" Ladybug asked her team.

"We're fine." Rena Rouge replied.

Carapace approached the group and he said, "Looks like Dark Cupid's been replaced. A case of "out with the old, in with the new" for the akumas."

"Yep." Ladybug said as the girls grew solemn.

"Yeah," Queen Bee agreed. "I mean, _one_ akuma was hard enough, but _three?_ Ridiculous! Utterly ridiculous!"

"They were pretty powerful," Carapace commented. "But their fatal flaw was that they weren't very patient and were _so_ insistent on taking the glory for themselves. Had they abandoned that and worked as a team like you angels do, you would've been hosed, dudettes."

"You're right about that." Rena Rouge said.

"Carapace, as thanks for lending a hand, we'd like to offer you bouquets of flowers!" Ladybug stated.

Each angel presented Carapace with a bouquet of their signature flowers. Ladybug gave red geraniums and roses, Queen Bee presented him with beebalms and goldenrods, and Rena Rouge gave the turtle orange tulips.

"Thanks, girls," Carapace said. "These new akumas are gonna be some tough enemies, so be careful from here on out."

"We will!" Ladybug assured before Carapace flew off into the sky. Ladybug took her yo-yo up again. _"Miraculous Ladybug!"_

As always, the magical light and ladybugs bathed the entire area and everything was repaired and organized.

The red-clad leader put her tool away, turned to her friends and said, "You heard him: we may tend to disagree with each other time and again, but we need to stay strong and cooperate at all times."

"That goes without saying, girl." Rena Rouge agreed.

"We're not just friends, we're a team, and we need to act like that no matter what!" Queen Bee added.

The trio shared a fist-bump and said, _"Pound it!"_

At Montparnasse Tower, Guitar Villain got the report back and he slammed his fist against the wall.

"I _warned_ them to work together as a team! But they were too impatient and that's what happened!" Guitar Villain spat in rage.

Fang growled again and opened his jaws.

"Please don't tell me things that I already know, Fang. I _know_ that it's gonna make more sense sending them out independently and not insisting they cooperate." Guitar Villain sighed.

In the human realm, Mendeleiev came back into the library to check on Marinette, but she was shocked and surprised at the sight of the library.

"It's like you cleaned up this whole library!" Mendeleiev pointed out, seeing how immaculate the room was. The books were cleaned, organized, and the mural was fixed.

"Well..." Marinette began, not sure how to explain the situation without giving away any Love Angel details.

"You three are clearly a good team," Mendeleiev said as she saw Chloé and Alya out of her peripheral vision. "Instead of the paper, why don't the three of you work on a presentation instead as a reward?"

"Really?" Alya said.

"The three of you did and excellent job cleaning this place. And I didn't even make you do it. I think you girls deserve a changed assignment on the grounds of good behavior. Now, back to researching Marie Curie, all three of you!" Mendeleiev stated before pushing all three girls to the table.

"I don't believe this..." Marinette said as the teacher left. "We get a bigger assignment change as a reward? A lot of good my Miraculous Ladybug did..."

"At least it's not a huge paper," Alya said. "And the three of us can split up the work... And that means no slacking and dumping work on us, Chloé."

"Alright, alright, I get it!" Chloé spoke.

The kwamis all heaved a sigh. Some teacher Mendeleiev was...

* * *

 **That was a close one! You can always count on Carapace! Okay, now the girls have more akumas to worry about, and three at once is even harder for them to deal with. Good thing Guitar Villain's going to do something stupid and plans on taking the divide and conquer route instead. That'll give the angels the upper hand.**

 **And now I've decided to use the sentimonsters that Mayura conjures up as any other miscellaneous akumas that I can't really figure out otherwise.**

 **Next time on Wedding Ladybug, summer break's started, so without the extra workload from school, the girls can focus on fighting the akumas and having some summer fun, too! But when a radio talk show ends up putting Marinette in an awkward position with Adrien, she's gotta find her way out of it. And to make things even wilder, he winds up getting tangled up in akuma-related drama** ** _again_** **, while revealing some more information about his family, too...**


	18. We'll Fight Even During Summer Break!

**Today on Wedding Ladybug, summer vacation's started for the girls and they're planning on taking time to relax and have fun! In fact, they're having a sleepover at Chloé's! But the akuma-angel war isn't gonna stop any time soon. After a radio talk show gets hijacked by Princess Fragrance, the akuma winds up putting Marinette in an awkward position with Adrien. Our designer angel tries to clear things up to get the heat off her, only for Adrien to wind up getting dragged into yet another akuma-angel conflict! And some more information about his family comes to light...**

 **Now, this is a chapter where more information about Adrien is revealed, so** ** _PAY ATTENTION!_** **There are going to be important pieces that'll be key later down the line... And more reviews, please? The more, the better.**

 **Modified ines from "Mistreated" from the movie "Strange Magic" will be used in here.**

* * *

Summer break had started for the school and the girls decided to have a sleepover at Le Grand Paris hotel. They were all in Chloé's room, and since she locked the door and asked for privacy, all four kwamis were out in the open and enjoying the party. The girls were all in their favorite pajamas, too.

 _"Cheers, to summer vacation!"_ The trio of girls sang, toasting to their temporary freedom.

The kwamis had their own little toast, too.

Marinette gulped down her juice and said, "We can stay up as long as we'd like tonight!"

"No kidding, girl," Alya agreed. "We need some time to have a little more fun."

"Agreed," Chloé said. "We need to relax a bit. School is ridiculous, utterly ridiculous enough, but fighting akumas all the time on top of that? We need a break."

"I couldn't agree more, my queen!" Pollen said as she was munching on a honey biscuit. "Even the Love Angels need a sabbatical every once in a while."

"Yeah, too bad the akumas don't stop for anything." Trixx commented as she ate a piece of watermelon.

"Come on, enough talking about the akumas," Tikki said, trying to get the mood back on track. "Let's just relax, have some fun and good food, and just forget about the akuma-angel war for tonight."

"Okay!" Marinette said, knowing her kwami had a good point.

The light reflected on the ring Marinette was wearing and Alya pointed out, "Oh, Marinette! That's a beautiful ring, girl."

"Huh?" Marinette asked as she showed the girls her ring.

"Looks like an engagement ring to me." Alya commented.

"Oh, this actually belonged to my mom," Marinette informed. "I just like wearing it."

"Marinette, you don't have a boyfriend yet. Why wear a ring?" Chloé snickered.

Marinette blushed in response, before saying, "Um... pot, kettle. Have you met?"

The girls burst out laughing at this, realizing how right Marinette was. Alya threw one of her pillows into Chloé's face. Chloé took the pillow off her face and threw it back at Alya.

The girls continued laughing and having an impromptu pillow fight. The kwamis joined in and started catching and throwing the pillows around. The group squealed and ducked around, delighting in their own mischief. Marinette got hit in the face with the pillow a few times, Chloé was hit more than five times and Alya was hit frequently as well. But they were all having so much fun.

The radio app on Alya's phone started blowing up with the music of a popular radio show. Alya took out a bluetooth speaker and hooked it up as the MC for the station started to speak, blaring through the connection.

 _"Goooood_ _evening, everybody! This is the lovely Marissa coming to you A-LIVE for "Marissa at Midnight!" How are y'all doing this evening? Tonight I'll be solving your love troubles to the best of my ability!"_

"Yes, it's on!" Alya said as she sat down by the phone. "We gotta make a request!"

"Great idea!" Marinette said as Alya picked up her phone, exited out of the app and went to the phone app.

"Now what's the number...?" Alya began.

"Leave that to me, girls," Chloé said as she picked up her phone. "Daddy's got all the radio stations' numbers. I know _exactly_ which one it is."

Chloé dialed the number on her phone for the radio station and it started ringing.

 _"Hello, you've reached "Marissa at Midnight." What song would you like us to play, lovebirds?"_ Marissa greeted over the phone.

"Could you please play "Where Does My Heart Beat Now" by Celine Dion?" Chloé requested. She'd gotten more polite since befriending Marinette and Alya.

As the music flowed through the rooms, the girls and kwamis closed their eyes, listening to the ordered notes.

 _"Where does my heart beat now? Where is the sound that only echoes through the night..."_ The radio blared out.

"Listening to Marissa's love advice really helps sooth the soul, doesn't it?" Alya said as she listened to the lyrics of the song.

"It sure does," Chloé agreed. "The more love that can flourish, the better."

Marinette kept quiet, her eyes on the phone. Tikki looked at her owner, then back to the phone.

 _"Tonight, let's get started on helping solve the love troubles of a special girl."_ Marissa said over the radio.

Outside in the sky, a giant cloud of dark pink perfume formed. Princess Fragrance was flying around the sky using her perfume gun, tracking the love waves to the radio station.

"I definitely feel the strong pull of the love waves coming from around here." Princess Fragrance said as she blasted a window open with her bottle and flew inside with ease.

Inside the station, the host, a woman in her late twenties with short, red hair and hazel eyes was reading one letter that came from a huge pile.

"Tonight we have a letter from a young maiden who's heart is crying out in confusion and love. She's a student at François-Dupont Lycée, who wants her identity to remain unknown." Marissa began, reading a letter out loud.

"Hey, she's from _our_ school!" Chloé said, surprised.

"Yeah!" Alya agreed, also surprised.

"It doesn't matter what age group you're in," Trixx commented. "People need help with love, no matter whether you're a teenager or an adult."

"We've seen that first-hand in several instances," Alya said. "My parents, our classmates, etc."

"Certainly, Duchess Alya." Pollen agreed.

 _"'Ever since I started at school, my mind's been occupied of finding my true love someday. At the same time, I'm constantly thinking about A.A. and it drives me completely insane...'"_

Tikki looked at her owner again and Marinette thought, _'Yes, it's the letter I sent in!'_

Her ring started subtly glowing red, as did her letter at the station.

"'Tell me, is it really love if we're constantly butting heads? I'm not sure what to do.' Oh, I see what you mean, miss..." Marissa continued.

Princess Fragrance, in the form of a black cloud, slipped through the door cracks and re-materialized into the studio.

"Aha! There's a love wave coming from that letter!" Princess Fragrance stated.

"Hey, who are you?!" One of the studio workers asked, shocked at Fragrance's intrusion.

"I'm Princess Fragrance!" She said as she held out her gun and shot dark purple perfume at everyone in the room, knocking them unconscious.

"Hang on, she said "A.A.," right?" Alya stated.

"Gotta be Adrien," Trixx agreed. "No doubt about it."

"But the letter said something about constantly arguing with him." Chloé added.

The girls looked to Marinette and they collectively asked, "So..."

"What are you talking about?! That's not my letter at all!" Marinette stammered, her face red and shaking her hands in denial. Tikki was just looking at her owner with a deadpan expression.

At Adrien's house, he was also listening to the station.

 _'That can't be me, can it?'_ Adrien thought curiously. Out of his peripheral vision, he saw something glowing.

He looked at his computer desk and saw a small box that had a thick silver band in it. The ring was flashing in light lime green, with some slight ringing noises.

Princess Fragrance infiltrated the sound booth and used her perfume to hypnotize Marissa into a daze. The akuma took the letter out of the host's hand.

"It's plain as day that you're smitten with your friend A.A., Marinette Dupain-Cheng." Princess Fragrance said into the microphone.

Marinette's face went red and she sweat dropped, and Tikki had a similar expression on her face.

"Wait, did she just say "Dupain-Cheng?!" It _is_ you, isn't it?!" Chloé accused, rounding on Marinette.

"Um, no, it's not!" Marinette squeaked, her face about as red as her suit. "It's gotta be a mistake or something!"

"Oh, Marinette, do you love this A.A. boy?" Princess Fragrance asked over the radio again.

"Nice try! There's no way it could be a mistake! As if it could be anyone else!" Alya said, turning around to Marinette and crossing her arms with a smirk.

"No, no, no! This has to be a prank!" Marinette insisted, curling in on herself and placing her hands on her head, humiliated. Tikki looked at her owner, not sure what to say.

Marinette scrambled out of her shell, snatched Alya's phone, and swiped out of the radio app, saying, "I can't stand this one bit!"

Once the connection was severed, the letter stopped glowing and the love waves were gone. Princess Fragrance looked at it, curious.

"I... I'll be off to bed now!" Marinette said as she scrambled to one of the inflatable mattress beds Chloé set up, and got under the covers.

"Marinette..." Alya began.

"I hear staying up this late is bad for the skin, isn't it, Chloé?" Marinette said as she started sleeping on her side, her back to the girls. Tikki looked at her owner in a deadpan expression.

Alya, Chloé, and their kwamis looked at each other in surprise.

 _'Oh, please, please, PLEASE don't have Adrien listening to the radio tonight! Late night photoshoot, fencing practice, sleeping, ANYTHING other than the radio!'_ Marinette mentally prayed as her face turned apple-red.

At Adrien's house, he was lying on his back on the couch, holding the ring in between his thumb and index finger. He was looking at it in examination.

"Did I _seriously_ just see this ring glow?" Adrien asked himself.

The next day at Montparnasse Tower, Princess Fragrance went back with her report to Guitar Villain.

"So the object of affection in that letter received the radio waves and then sent the love waves back to the letter?" Guitar Villain surmised.

"There are _a lot_ of waves. I'm almost certain that this person has to have one of the Miraculous Something Four!" Princess Fragrance stated with confidence. "Just give me a bit more time and I guarantee that I'll be back with one of the Miraculous Something Four!"

Princess Fragrance then left in a cloud of perfume. She started flying through the sky, determined to get her hands on the Miraculous Something Four.

"Alright, let's look into that womanizer boy that Marinette girl seemed super sweet on." Princess Fragrance giggled before zooming across the sky.

Out in the park, Marinette called Adrien out to talk to him about the radio broadcast the previous night. She was sitting in the gazebo, her bag open and talking to her kwamis.

"Are you sure about this, Marinette? Telling Adrien it was all a prank when it wasn't?" Tikki asked.

"Yes, I'm sure!" Marinette insisted, red in the face. "It's bad enough _everyone_ who was listening to the radio last night heard that, but Adrien?! I'd just die!"

Nooroo saw something out of his peripheral vision, then he pulled Tikki back into the bag to hide.

"Hey, Mariboo," Adrien said as he approached the girl. "What'cha wanna talk to me about?"

"Um... Well, did you listen to the radio last night? _Marissa At Midnight?_ " Marinette timidly asked.

"Oh yeah, I did," Adrien confirmed with a casual nod. "Is this about the letter?"

"Y-Yeah... That wasn't my doing," Marinette fibbed, her face still red as she refused to look at the blonde in the eyes. "It was just someone's idea of a sick, cruel joke."

Adrien's smile faintly, _faintly_ fell a little bit, before saying, "That goes without saying... There's _no way in hell_ you'd fall for me, Mariboo. We both know it."

Marinette was resisting the urge to turn her face to the model, eyes swimming with sadness.

Nearby, Princess Fragrance was hiding nearby. She was wearing a human disguise, which consisted of her skin turning fair, her pink hair now blonde and out of its ponytail, her dress still black, but now more of a summer sundress. Her perfume gun was still on her hip.

"He's my type of man," She giggled with a blush on her cheeks. "I may end up giving off some of my own love waves."

"Well, I'd better get going," Adrien spoke. "I've got more work to do back home, so I'll see you later."

Adrien started to leave the park, with Marinette looking on. She sighed in some dejected relief before turning around to leave.

"Are you okay with this, Marinette?" Tikki asked.

"Yeah, I am," Marinette sighed. "The status quo is maintained, so all is good."

"So shall we go home?" Nooroo suggested.

"Yep. I wanna get some more projects done." Marinette said as she turned around.

"Adrien!" Someone shouted, prompting Marinette to turn around to see the disguised Princess Fragrance approaching Adrien and latching herself onto him.

"Hey, hang on a second! Who are you?" Adrien asked, surprised at the girl holding his hands.

"I've got something that I can only ask you!" She said as she smiled and locked her arms around his.

"Um, I..." Adrien began. "Could you please let go of me?"

But the costumed akuma giggled before looking at him in the eyes and said, "Sorry, can't do that."

She slyly took out her perfume gun and sprayed a small cloud of the fumes in Adrien's face. His eyes widened a bit, then his face grew tired while his eyelids grew heavy, almost in a trance.

"So, shall you take me home, Adrien?" Princess Fragrance asked as she started walking with a hypnotized Adrien back to his car to go to his house.

"What the hell...? Who's she?" Marinette asked, quirking a brow with a curious, disgruntled look.

"I've no clue, but she seems a bit older than him," Nooroo commented. "Wow, he makes quick work."

 _"Nooroo!"_ Tikki and Marinette spoke as Marinette tried to shove Nooroo back into hiding.

At the Agreste Mansion, the spelled Adrien brought Princess Fragrance into his bedroom.

"You live by yourself?" Princess Fragrance questioned.

"Not really," Adrien murmured monotonously, his eyes still glazed over. "My parents' assistant, Nathalie, is usually here when she isn't working."

"But your room is absolutely _massive._ " Princess Fragrance added.

Looking at all the things in Adrien's room: a rock wall, a basketball court for him, a three-screen computer, a couch, a huge TV, and so much more.

"But its also a lot like mine. You know, being alone. That's something the two of us have in common, Adrien," Princess Frangrance commented. "It makes me feel a little sad, actually. Not sure why. But then again, I'm alone as well, so I guess I've started babbling to myself constantly. Do you get that?"

"...More or less." Adrien spoke.

"You're a sweetie, Adrien," Princess Fragrance complimented as she stood before him. "I'm sure people like you."

"...Yes and no." Adrien replied.

"By the way, I have to ask you something," Princess Fragrance said as she put her hand on his cheek. "Where are the Miraculous Something Four?"

"...What are you talking about? Miraculous Something Four? What's that?" Adrien replied, still in a monotone voice.

"I think they might be closer than you realize, Adrien." Princess Fragrance said.

Outside and across the street, Marinette was watching the building. Her gut was telling her something was wrong, so she went over for recon.

"She's been in his house for nearly an hour now." Nooroo commented.

"Maybe they're family or something?" Marinette suggested.

" _Or_ she's an older lover," Nooroo refuted. "Who knows what's going on in there right now?"

"I wonder who that woman is to him?" Marinette muttered, her ring hand on her cheek.

Her ring started glowing with her love waves.

As if they were the same thing, Adrien's ring started glowing in lime green, too.

Princess Fragrance saw the glowing ring and said, "Aha! Bingo, this _has_ to be it!"

She picked it up out of the box and held it in her hand.

"Put that back," Adrien requested, standing. "That... Ring was given to me by my father many years. Put it down!"

He lunged for the ring, but Princess Fragrance moved away before saying, "Sorry, not happening. How about a trade instead?"

She took her gun out and shot at him again, this time causing pink electricity to shoot throughout him. He screamed before collapsing on the floor in the room. Princess Fragrance giggled.

"Aw, couldn't take it, big man?" Princess Fragrance teased.

There was a knock on the door, startling Princess Fragrance.

Marinette had come into the house. Nathalie, who worked for the family, escorted her to Adrien's room.

"Marinette, you must be worried about Adrien," Nathalie commented. "That young lady is a stranger to me."

"Yeah," Marinette added. "Something's just not right. My gut's sending off signals."

"I have other work to do," Nathalie stated. "Give a shout if you need anything, okay?"

"Thanks, Ms. Sancoeur." Marinette thanked as the woman left the girl to her own devices.

She rapped against the door again, before asking aloud, "Adrien? Are you okay in there?"

Not a single sound. Worried, Marinette opened the door, but gasped at the sight of Adrien down on the ground.

"Adrien!" Marinette shouted.

Back at the hideout, Princess Fragrance brought the ring to Guitar Villain.

"I've got something, Lord Guitar Villain!" Princess Fragrance said as she held up the ring.

"If this is it, then your praises will be sung." Guitar Villain stated before blasting the ring with some akuma energy. Rather than being completely immune, cracks started forming in the ring.

"What?!" Princess Fragrance shouted, surprised.

"This isn't it! You've brought me nothing!" Guitar Villain said before turning his back on his underling.

"Wait, hang on! I thought for sure that-" Princess Fragrance pleaded, but...

"Silence! I won't listen to you anymore!" Guitar Villain bellowed before leaving the area in a blast of smoke.

"Wait, no! Don't leave!" Princess Fragrance begged, then started crying. "No! Now Lord Guitar Villain resents me! This is a disaster! My life's over...!"

But her tears of grief turned to hatred when she thought of Adrien.

"That boy... He conned me and gave me a phony! He'll get it! He'll get my wrath without any mercy! No forgiveness!" Princess Fragrance declared.

"Adrien! Wake up!" Marinette pleaded while shaking his shoulders. Tikki and Nooroo were watching over them.

Adrien started stirring and then the two kwamis ducked back in the bag.

Adrien's eyes opened, before saying, "M... Marinette?"

"You okay?" Marinette asked.

"I... I..." Adrien began, but he held his head in pain. "Ugh... I can't remember what's happened..."

"What do you mean?" Marinette asked.

"Well... I remember that the two of us were int he park and I was just leaving... Then _zilch_." Adrien began.

"So... That girl?" Marinette asked.

"Girl?" Adrien began. But then he remembered Princess Fragrance holding the ring. "That girl!"

He leaped from the couch and began frantically shouting, "Damn it, where's the ring?"

"Ring?" Marinette asked. "What ring?"

Adrien saw the ring box was empty and shouted, "NO! My father's ring! It's gone!"

"Huh?" Marinette questioned.

"No! That... That girl took my father's ring!" Adrien concluded, shaking in rage.

"Any idea who that girl is?" Marinette questioned.

"I really wish I knew!" Adrien shouted in anguish, on the verge of tears.

Marinette jumped back.

"I... I'm sorry, Marinette, but I'm clueless about who that girl is..." Adrien stated.

He stood up and went to the window.

"So Adrien..." Marinette asked. "What's this ring you're talking about?"

Adrien sighed, looked back at Marinette, then said, "...You know how your mother's ring is a memento of your mom?"

"Yes." Marinette confirmed.

"Well... This ring was the same thing. Only it was a gift from my father." Adrien explained.

"From your dad?" Marinette questioned.

"Right. As you know, my father's the famous fashion designer, Gabriel Agreste," Adrien continued on. "He gave me that ring a long time ago..."

 _~Flashback~_

 _Adrien was standing in front of a privately-owned plane. His father, Gabriel Agreste, knelt down to eye level with Adrien, the ring in hand._

 _"One day, this ring may very well protect you, son. So guard it with your life." Gabriel requested._

 _Adrien gave a nod._

 _Gabriel stood up and said, "And listen to your mother, okay?"_

 _He took his suitcase in hand before leaving for the plane._

 _"Pére!" Adrien shouted as his father closed the plane door and the plane started going down the runway._

 _~End of Flashback~_

"...That was the last I saw of him. I haven't heard a thing from him since." Adrien stated.

"...Your mom?" Marinette asked.

"She's still around. She's the famed actress Emilie Agreste," Adrien explained. "She's usually traveling for her movies, but she never hesitates to try and make time to talk to me. And whenever she's at the mansion, she's always there for me."

"...So it's usually just you and Nathalie here, huh?" Marinette summarized.

Adrien looked out the window and muttered, "I love Paris. So did _pére_... I never want to leave Paris. It's always going to be my home."

Marinette approached the window and said, "So do I."

She looked to Adrien and began, "And I..."

Adrien looked back, but a loud banging on the door interrupted them.

"Looks who's back!" Princess Fragrance shouted as she barged back into the room.

Adrien's eyes widened at the sight of her.

Marinette stepped forward and asked, "Now hang on: who on earth are you?"

Princess Fragrance grabbed Marinette's shoulder, saying, "Out of my way!"

Her black akuma aura started up, and Marinette noticed it. Princess Fragrance gave Marinette a hard shove, throwing the young girl all the way into the en-suite bathroom. The door slammed shut.

 _"Marinette!"_ Adrien shouted, worried.

"I can't stand you!" Princess Fragrance spat. "I _trusted you_ , boy! I was fond of you because you were alone, like me! But..."

"But..." Adrien asked.

"You pawned this phony off onto me, and I won't forgive you for it!" Princess Fragrance shouted, tears in her eyes. She threw the ring on the ground in a fit.

"Father's ring!" Adrien shouted.

 _"I was... Mistreated! I was abused! I was trespassed, and invaded! AND I AM NOT AMUSED!"_ Princess Fragrance sang as she changed her disguise back.

In the bathroom, Marinette was covering her nose and mouth from the perfume overload and she was trying to filter the smell out. Tikki and Nooroo were covering their faces, too.

"She's an akuma!" Marinette spoke in a muffled shout.

Princess Fragrance had Adrien in a telekinetic hold, and she was glaring him down.

 _"I've been embarrassed! Disrespected! I've been mistreated!"_ Princess Fragrance crooned as she used her perfume gun to conjure up a giant bee.

Adrien screamed while bracing himself for impact.

"I'll go get Ladies Chloé and Alya!" Nooroo shouted as he phased through the walls to get the girls.

"Thanks, Nooroo!" Marinette said before turning to Tikki. "We've gotta help Adrien!"

 _"Lucky Wedding Flower!"_ Marinette called as she transformed into her wedding dress. _"Bridal Change! Wedding Dress Transform! Angel Creation Ladybug!"_

Marinette switched out her dress for her suit.

Adrien was still staring at the bee in fear as it closed in on him. They were surrounded by blackish-purple colors and they seemed to be isolated from everything else.

"That'll show you, boy!" Princess Fragrance spoke. "I'll give things another boost."

But as if someone parted a curtain, Ladybug stepped in to the scene in a glowing white light.

"It's you! Ladybug!" Princess Fragrance shouted. "Lucky me! If I bring you to Lord Guitar Villain, he'll forgive me for passing him a fake! Get that angel!"

The bee charged at Ladybug, but she took her yo-yo out and started spinning it, generating rainbow love waves.

The bee exploded in a burst of sparkles. Ladybug put her yo-yo away, only for more buzzing to be heard. Stingers came out of nowhere, shot at Ladybug, and she tried to block it with her yo-yo. But the stingers pinned her down onto the ground.

"Ah! Crap!" Ladybug shouted as she struggled to break free.

"Well, well, well, I've captured a Love Angel. Lord Guitar Villain, I've done it!" Princess Fragrance said in delight.

Ladybug tried to break her bondage and pulled her arms and legs, but no success. The akuma approached, held up her perfume gun and stated, "Have a sniff!"

She shot a giant stream of akuma-energy infused perfume, causing Ladybug to choke on the fumes while enduring intense pain. But she refused to scream.

"I gotta make sure you suffer before turning you over to Lord Guitar Villain!" Princess Fragrance claimed as she gave her an angry sneer.

Up against the wall, Adrien was trapped by his hands and feet. He opened his eyes partway, and saw Ladybug being attacked by Princess Fragrance. As if he could see right through her disguise, his eyes didn't see Ladybug, but his vision showed him Marinette instead.

"...Marinette... Please listen..." Adrien murmured tiredly. "You... You've got to win."

The ring in his balled fist started glowing lime green again. The light burst out of his hand and surrounded the room.

"What the hell?" Princess Fragrance asked.

The ring left Adrien's hand, and the ring on Ladybug's hand flew off her hand and approached Arien's ring.

" _Maman's_ ring!" Ladybug spoke, surprised. The two items came closer together, creating another bright white light burst.

Outside the bedroom door, Rena Rouge, Queen Bee, and Nooroo were standing there.

"What's with this light?" Rena Rouge asked aloud.

Inside, Ladybug was lying on the ground, but the pins holding her down were gone and she felt a relieving warmth from somewhere. Ladybug sat up and saw the etherial image of...

"Master Fu!" Ladybug spoke.

 _"Ladybug. Thanks to the loving hearts that you and Adrien have, you have revived one of the_ true _Miraculous Something Four."_

A giant octagonal box that had red markings on it opened up, a glowing white light radiating from it.

Sabine's ring approached Marinette, but it looked different. The rose quartz was now shaped into a heart and mounted on a gold band, and the gold surrounding the gem was heart-shaped with wings and a small crown.

 _"This is the_ true _Something Old, Ladybug."_ Master Fu informed her.

"...So _Maman's_ ring _IS_ one of the Miraculous Something Four. The Something Old." Ladybug stated.

 _"Ladybug, use the Something Old to summon the Lady's Crystal."_ Master Fu instructed.

Ladybug slipped the ring on her finger. The gem radiated a red beam of light, and out of it came a crystal - it was a giant ruby in the shape of a ladybug, inlaid with onyx gems for the spots and head. The gem was mounted on a black handle with a red ribbon on the end. Between the ladybug crystal and the handle was a heart-shaped ruby.

Ladybug grabbed it in her hand and shouted, _"Lady's Crystal!"_

It started glowing a faint ruby red.

"I won't lose to that!" Princess Fragrance declared, shooting her perfume gun again. The pink clouds were infused with akuma energy.

But the fumes and the evil energy were absorbed into the heart-shaped ruby, and the wings on the ladybug opened up. The crystal was glowing.

"What?!" Princess Fragrance shouted, confused.

"Wow! The akuma energy is getting sucked in!" Ladybug stated, in awe of its power.

"As if it can do that! _Die, Ladybug!_ " Princess Fragrance shouted again, shooting more of the perfume and energy.

But the Lady's Crystal kept sucking the energy in.

"Yikes, Princess Fragrance's evil energy is coming in... Poor Fragrance..." Ladybug murmured. "All you wanted was to be loved. That's all it is, isn't it?"

"I don't need pity from the likes of you!" Princess Fragrance spoke as she kept firing back.

"You can begin from scratch, Princess Fragrance," Ladybug spoke kindly. "Be reborn, and feel the happiness and joy of love!"

The crystal flashed and started glowing again, with the ladybug wings still open.

 _"Engagement Present! Lady's Crystal, L'amour Pour Vous!"_ Ladybug shouted before firing a giant blast of pink light at Princess Fragrance - her evil akuma energy that had been purified, then weaponized.

The blast landed a direct hit on Princess Fragrance. She was screaming in pain. Once the light faded, Ladybug watched as Princess Fragrance was glowing pink with sparkles, a calm smile on her face.

"Ah... My hatred's melting away into warm love... _Merci, Ladybug_... Thank you, boy." Princess Fragrance said as she thanked both Ladybug and Adrien for the purification.

The akuma disappeared in a blast of sparkles and left the house through the window.

The Lady's Crystal put itself away back into the ring.

"Incredible..." Nooroo spoke, in awe.

"So that's the power of the Miraculous Something Four." Queen Bee spoke.

 _"Miraculous Ladybug!"_ Ladybug shouted, holding her yo-yo to the sky. Everything that gotten damaged in the fight, including the ring, was repaired.

Ladybug got down on her knees, put the repaired ing back in Adrien's hand and folded his fingers up around it.

"...Thank you, Adrien." Ladybug stated.

"We never got a chance to kick any akuma ass. Ridiculous, utterly ridiculous, isn't it?" Queen Bee told Rena Rouge.

"Yeah, but everything worked out, and we have one of the Miraculous Something Four, so all's good." Rena Rouge commented.

Ladybug looked at the ring on her finger and thought, _'So this is the Something Old...'_

The girls transformed back and started walking home.

"So what were you doing with Adrien in his room?" Alya asked.

"Just checking on him," Marinette stated, red in the face and combative in her tone. "That girl he was with was sending off red flags, so I followed my instincts and that's what happened. Stop making fun of me about this, please?"

"It looked pretty suspicious, Marinette," Trixx teased. "Admit it."

"I've said it before and I'll say it again: I can't stand Adrien, and I don't like him in that particular way." Marinette insisted.

"Then why do you keep getting all defensive and angry about it, Duchess Marinette?" Pollen gently asked.

"Ooh, red in the face. Suspicious, isn't it, Marinette?" Chloé commented.

"Enough, please!" Marinette begged. The threesome and their kwamis started arguing about it the whole way home.

* * *

 **Alright, one of the akumas are gone, but there are still three more to dispatch. And the best part is now the Angels have one of the Miraculous Something Four: the Something Old, Sabine's ring! That's one piece acquired, three more to go! But heads' up: Adrien doesn't remember addressing Ladybug as Marinette. I guess his brain was just too tired out from the events to retain that information.**

 **Now we have a bit of a backstory to Adrien's family life! And we got a reaction out of the ring Adrien keeps, even though it's not one of the Miraculous Something Four. Why is that important? *Giggles* Just wait and see! It's related to that "skeleton in the closet that even HE doesn't know about."**

 **And for those who didn't catch it, there was a Steven Universe reference to "Cry for Help" in the beginning of the chapter! I was also contemplating mentioning Luka in this chapter, but that handsome guitarist will be brought up at least once or twice in this story.**

 **Next time on Wedding Ladybug, the girls and their classmates decide to have a little fun and do a "test of courage" in the cemetery in Paris because it's too hot to sleep. But once again, problems pop up when most of the participants go missing! That's got akumas written all over it, and if Chloé and Pollen don't get their hands on the next piece of the Miraculous Something Four, then _they_ could wind up being the ones six feet under.**

 **I'm being QUITE SERIOUS about reviews here: the more I get, the better. I like getting more reviews because it keeps me motivated to keep going. Could you please help me out with this?**

 **Now, I know I haven't done this in a while, but preview time! Let's see about episode 24.**

 **That evening, Nathaniel slammed his hand on his desk and shouted, "This ends _now_ , understand? This is _my_ body, so _get out!_ "**

 **Groaning in pain, the young man moaned as a stream of black energy came out of him, and the Evillustrator emerged behind him.**

 **"I don't like it when you talk to me like that," The Evillustrator stated. "Do you have to be so mean?"**

 **"You need to make like a banana and split! I can't take it anymore!" Nathaniel spoke, pointing out the window.**

 **"That's what _you_ say, but your body isn't saying the same thing. Your body's pretty comfortable, and that's rare." Evillustrator commented. **

**"But why mine?" Nathaniel asked.**

 **"Your introverted nature, your shyness, it just makes you a nice amount of twisted." Evillustrator explained.**

 **"Hey, I'm not twisted!" Nathaniel denied, turning his face away.**

 **"Then why didn't you speak up about wanting to be part of the festival in more than just the artistic portion?" Evillustrator asked.**

 **Nathaniel paused before looking back at his akuma companion.**

 **"Listen, don't you think I might know _just_ what you're feeling?" Evillustrator inquired before coming closer. "I wonder... Would you like to sign a deal?" **

**"Deal?" Nathaniel asked.**

 **"You know... _A contract with the akumas?"_ Evillustrator elaborated. **

**Thunder and lightning flashed outside.**


	19. Enigma on a Midsummer's Night!

**In this installment of Wedding Ladybug, Marinette and company are doing a test of courage with some of the other students in the school for fun, but the enjoyment gets spoiled when the classmates start disappearing one after another, and Frightningale is the one responsible for it.**

 **So Chloé and Pollen had better hurry up and snag another one of the Miraculous Something Four if they want to get out of** ** _this_** **fight.  
**

 **Now, I've said it before and I'll say it again: _more reviews, please!_ I'm looking for at least two per chapter, if you wouldn't mind. Especially in the last chapter. I only got one review, so can you _please_ help me out?**

* * *

In the club room at the school, the girls were working on some costumes and props for something. Marinette and Chloé were at the table, sewing costumes. Or more accurately, Marinette was sewing the costumes with ease while Chloé was struggling to get the hang of it, complaining under her breath.

Alya was hammering something on the floor in the room. As per usual, the kwamis were out of hiding since they were alone.

While the school was on summer break, the building was open (thanks to Chloé's father pulling a few strings) so the girls could come and go into their club room to hang out, do more work for the blog for the new school year, have meetings relating to the akuma-angel war without anyone listening in, etc.

Alya threw the hammer down gently, rocked back onto her tush, then started pulling at her shirt while fanning herself.

"Ugh, this heat is killing me..." Alya complained. "It's like we're in a volcano, standing next to the magma."

"You're telling me," Chloé griped to Alya. "This heat and humidity is _frizzing_ my hair up and I'm sweating so much, my makeup is running! I mean, I like a nice sauna, but this is _ridiculous, utterly ridiculous_."

"This heat isn't doing any favors for us kwamis either." Trixx stated. She and the others were sitting in front of the table fan to cool off.

"I brought a cooler with some ice, drinks and extra water for all of us so we can stay cool and comfy," Marinette informed as she kept sewing her costume. "In the meantime, let's distract ourselves with preparations for the test of courage."

"Yeah, I can't _wait_ to see the reactions from the class!" Chloé snickered. "It'll be hilarious to see whether or not they're chicken."

"No kidding," Alya replied. "But why are _we_ the ones dressing up as monsters for this?"

" _Someone_ has to do it, Alya," Marinette began. "When I suggested this idea, everyone was going on and on about us being the monsters, and I couldn't get a word in edgewise. They were also talking about how scary and and annoying Chloé can be, so they said they wanted _her_ to play one of them..."

"Come on, Marinette, you couldn't get a moment to say "no?" Besides, where'd you even come up with this whole "test of courage" thing anyway?" Alya asked.

"I was watching this cute anime "Cardcaptor Sakura" the other day and there was an episode where they had a test of courage, so I thought, "Hey, why not try that here?" Besides, people were complaining about a lot of scary stuff happening around the city..." Marinette began.

"Scary stuff meaning akuma-related events, right?" Trixx asked.

"Yeah, so I thought that if everyone got a little braver with this, people won't be so frightened when akumas attack." Marinette said.

"Nice thinking, Marinette," Tikki said. "Try on your costume!"

Marinette nodded furiously before slipping behind the changing curtain. After a few seconds, she came out in an outfit that looked torn, worn out, and dirty. There were cuts in certain places, the hems were ripped, and everything.

"Wow, Marinette! Mess up your hair a bit, put on the right makeup, and you'll _really_ look like a zombie!" Alya said. "But otherwise, who'd get scared of _that_ nutty thing?"

"If I jump out of nowhere without a sound and get their faces, it should work." Marinette commented.

"That's a good point. I'm done over here." Alya said as she put her tools down.

She stepped on a wedge, and it triggered something. The top of the tombstone she built opened up and a zombie hand emerged and started grabbing at nothing but air.

"Nice work! That's going to be amazing, Alya!" Marinette praised.

"And it isn't just us doing this," Chloé commented as she put on part of her ghost costume. The inspiration was from a Japanese folk tale. "The fencing team is helping out, too."

She then started putting on a spooky facial expression and she eerily said, _"Isn't that going to be amazing?"_

The trio started laughing in delight, their kwamis joining in.

Back at Montparnasse Tower...

 _"I don't believe this!"_ Guitar Villain shouted at the two remaining akumas. "What were you two doing?! Not only did you let the Love Angels get their filthy hands on one of the Miraculous Something Four, but Princess Fragrance was taken out, too! I warned you guys about how important teamwork was, didn't I?!"

"Guitar Villain, don't blame me! Princess Fragrance went off alone, you see?" Frightningale protested.

 _"Enough!"_ Guitar Villain shouted. "No more excuses out of either of you! Frightningale, Stormy Weather, listen to me - put aside your petty feelings and _cooperate!_ Any more mistakes or screw ups will be met without any forgiveness or mercy! Understood?"

"Guitar Villain, I understand. Your wish is my command!" Frightningale stated, saluting Guitar Villain.

"Now off with you!" Guitar Villain ordered, and the two akumas flew out of their hiding spot.

Fang growled from the side.

"Don't worry, Fang - Princess Fragrance's demise taught those two a lesson they won't forget any time soon." Guitar Villain reassured.

Outside, Stormy and Frightningale reconvened.

"Lord Guitar Villain wants us to work together. All I have to say is, "whatever." I think you should go your way and I'll go mine. Then our own unique talents can shine!" Frightningale suggested.

Stormy Weather didn't answer her companion, merely looking at the city.

"Well... I guess that's all I have to say. In that case, I'll be off. Have a good day!" Frightningale spoke before flying off.

She breathed a sigh of relief before saying, "Being around Stormy Weather is so depressing. Her cold attitude's always keeping me guessing. But with Princess Fragrance out of the way, I'll get the Miraculous Something Four myself, and destroy the Love Angels all in one day!"

She kept flying off.

* * *

That evening, everyone in their class and other students at the school convened at the Citeière du Père Lachaise, one of the most famous cemeteries in Paris. The test of courage was fully under way. Even Adrien and Nino were in attendance.

The event had snacks and drinks for everyone to enjoy as everyone went into the cemetery in groups of three, one at a time.

Some of the kids were already some ways in, but they were shaking in their shoes. One of them was holding the flashlight while the others were cowering behind the person.

"...Any idea which way we should go?" "Don't ask _me!_ I don't know which direction to go in!"

They were trembling at the dead quiet in the cemetery. One of the students stated, "M-Maybe we should go back?"

"Yeah, good idea. I wanna go back." "We can't go back _now_ , we're in too deep!"

A floating, purplish ball of fire slowly flew in front of the trio. They went paler than ghosts, screamed with tears of fright and started running, but they were stopped in their tracks when they ran into Alya. She'd come out from hiding behind a nearby tree, wearing another zombie costume that Marinette made.

She moaned and started getting into the participants' space, and the spooky fire ball flying around them added to the act. Then, the ball grew and grew until it turned into a demonic-looking face. Both Alya and the fire face moaned in rage.

The students screamed before running for the hills in another direction.

Alya stood straight up and put her hands down to her side. The purple fire ball came to her hand and changed back into Trixx.

"That was amazing, Trixx! And nice touch with the fire," Alya snickered. "That _totally_ scared the crap out of them."

Trixx laughed in agreement, before saying, "Yeah, nice work! I'm glad Marinette was on board with using our illusion powers for this."

"Yeah, let's just hope it's quiet tonight..." Alya murmured.

She heard more footsteps. Alya hid back behind the tree, ready to send Trixx back out.

"Ready to scare the bejesus out of this next person, Trixx?" Alya asked. Her kwami responded by turning into the purple fire ball again.

Trixx flew out to the unsuspecting individual. Alya heard the person scream, but her face contorted in suspicion... That voice was familiar.

Hearing rapid footsteps coming closer, Alya leaped out to complete her act. She moaned loudly and held her hands out as if she were going to pounce, and was gnashing her teeth. The faux fox fire was glowing brighter and hotter.

Hearing another scream and someone landing on the ground, Alya looked up and saw Nino was sitting on his rear on the grass, breathing heavily.

"Nino?" Alya asked as the flame disappeared (or rather, Trixx cut the illusion and hid behind her owner).

"Hey Alya," Nino whimpered a bit. "Nice work with the fire. How's it done?"

"That's my little secret," Alya said as she grabbed Nino's hand and helped him stand up. "But I didn't think you scare easy."

"I... I usually don't, but you were really good." Nino stated before giving out a sheepish chuckle. Alya gave a mischievous giggle while looking at Nino with sultry eyes.

Meanwhile, Adrien was walking around the cemetery to supervise the test.

Passing by one tombstone, Marinette jumped out and moaned loudly, acting it up like Alya, getting into Adrien's space.

Adrien jumped back, startled, but he sighed and muttered, "You need a bit of work..."

"Really?! "I need work?!" Are you being serious right now?" Marinette barked.

"You _look_ the part, and your timing is on-point, but your acting needs a _little bit_ more..." Adrien began, pinching his fingers together.

"Hey, I worked my _ass_ off on this! The least you could do is _try_ to act a bit scared!" Marinette asked.

"Mariboo, you still need some practice. But I've gotta give you credit for your passion and effort." Adrien said before chuckling and walking away.

Marinette sighed and muttered, "If _anything_ need work, its his social skills."

"Wasn't he sheltered most of his life?" Tikki asked.

"Yeah." Marinette admitted.

"So that's part of the issue..." Tikki added.

Further into the cemetery, some of the others had gone ahead and were making their way to a nearby well.

Chloé, wearing her costume and holding a bunch of plates in her hand, rose up from behind the well, as if she was on a lift, before turning to her peers and giving them a despondent, sad look on her face. Her hair was messed up, too.

 _"I'll put a curse on you..."_ Chloé moaned eerily.

More people screamed before running away. Chloé sighed before muttering, "This kabuki thing is insane. The story's spooky, but _brr_... It's _too_ spooky! I mean, ridiculous, utterly ridiculous! I need a break."

Chloé set up a lawn chair, took out a cooler, and laid down on the chair. She opened the cooler, took out some bottled tea, fruit, and plates.

"Pollen, snack time!" Chloé shouted, holding up a honey-glazed piece of watermelon.

"Wonderful! I'm quite famished, my queen," Pollen spoke as she came out of hiding and took a bite of the melon. "Quite an exquisite combination! Watermelon and wildflower honey is truly a feast for royals."

Chloé laughed before lying down on her chair and beginning to snack on her fruit.

Nearby, some of the other students were in the cemetery with their flashlights.

"A-A-Any idea how we're supposed to get out of here?" One girl asked.

"I'm as clueless as you are." Another one whimpered.

A giant flash of light and a huge BOOM noise was heard. The girls screamed, ducking and covering their eyes.

"W-W-What was that?!" The first girl asked. "An explosion?!"

"Hey you two!" A voice shouted from above.

The girls looked up to see a figure floating in the air. Lightning flashed behind her to illuminate Frightningale, who was glaring the two girls down. They screamed again, fainting in shock.

"Each of those girls are a baby," Frightningale complained with a finger snap. "These two can't be Love Angels. They fainted at the sight of me!"

One of the other girls was running through the cemetery. She came up to Marinette's part of the challenge. Marinette, taking some of Adrien's advice, popped out and moaned.

The girl screamed, but she recovered and said, "Marinette, I'm glad you're doing a good job, but this is urgent! We can't have you acting like a monster right now!"

Marinette stood up and looked at the girl in confusion. They went and got Alya.

"Come again?" Alya asked.

"None of the participants have come out of the graveyard." The girl explained.

"Are you sure? They could be doing it on purpose to up the fear factor. That'd be helpful, actually." Alya commented.

"No, I'm serious! People really _are_ going missing! I'm telling the truth!" The girl insisted.

"Then we'd better go look for them, just in case." Marinette began.

Alya gave a nod and then they started off into the graveyard to find the others.

Another girl had confronted Frightningale, who took out her whip and cracked it at her. The poor girl was hit and turned into a metallic pink statue.

"Damn, she's not a Love Angel either! But I feel love waves that are near..." Frightningale spoke.

Marinette, Alya, and the girl were walking through the graveyard, shouting out the names of the participants in the test.

 _"HEY!"_ Adrien hollered as he ran up to the group. He stopped and put his hands on his knees, catching his breath.

"What's the matter?" Alya asked.

"It's getting worse! Jean's MIA, too." Adrien reported.

"Even Jean?!" Marinette asked. "What in the world is happening?"

"We'd better split up and expand our search." Adrien suggested.

"Good idea!" Marinette agreed.

The foursome scattered, with Alya and Marinette being a pair. The twosome were walking around, continually shouting out the names of the missing people. And the kwamis were out of hiding, helping out.

"Hey Alya, do you think legitimate ghosts are responsible for what's going on?" Marinette questioned.

"Unlikely," Alya stated. "I'd bet my money on akumas."

"Yeah, that sounds more likely," Trixx stated. "Ghosts are a bunch of nonsense."

"But not akumas." Tikki agreed.

Alya stepped on something, and out of nowhere a tombstone opened up from the top. The zombie hand came out and started grabbing at them. Marinette screamed before backing away. But she calmed down after recognizing the prop.

"Wait... Isn't that the one you made, Alya?" Marinette asked.

"Oh yeah..." Alya said, realizing it was her work. "Wow, works better than I thought."

"Why am I so jumpy today?" Marinette asked herself.

"I didn't think you'd be such a scaredy-cat, Lady Marinette." Nooroo teased.

"Nooroo..." Marinette said in warning. "Anyway, less standing around, more searching."

"Right!" The group said before taking off once more.

* * *

Back with Chloé, she and Pollen were sitting on the former's lawn chair next to the tombstone and waiting for more people. They were still munching on watermelon.

"Honestly, where _is_ everyone? They just up and vanished!" Chloé complained as she wiped her mouth with a napkin.

"Quite impolite, isn't it, my queen?" Pollen said.

"Yes. It's _ridiculous. Utterly ridiculous_ ," Chloé said, standing up. "Come on, Pollen. People shouldn't expect a ghost to stand around if there's no one to scare."

Pollen started flying after her owner as Chloé took a little walk to stretch her legs. The kwami-angel pair soon came upon a statue. The statue depicted a woman wearing robes and had long, flowing hair.

"Wow... This must be a goddess statue," Chloé said, and then she noticed there were many more statues around, all showing different people. "Is this something out of Greek Mythology or something?"

"My queen, look at this!" Pollen said as she pointed out a large stone slab to Chloé's right. The slab was a giant tombstone and it pictured another beautiful woman with long hair.

Chloé's Miraculous started glowing, and Pollen's eyes did, too.

"Pollen, what's going on?!" Chloé asked.

Sparkles fell from the face of the woman on the stone and they fell on the stone slab on the ground. As if something activated it, the door opened and radiated a rainbow colored light.

"What the hell?!" Chloé shouted when she saw what was inside the opened slab: a stone stairwell.

"Think it might have something to do with the Miraculous Something Four, Pollen?" Chloé asked.

"Only one way to be certain, my queen." Pollen said as she and Chloé stared at the stairs.

The pair took a deep breath before slowly going down the steps. The stairwell was made of stone stairs while the walls were part of an underground cavern. The texture of the walls implied deliberate carving and work, which already confirmed the obvious: the stairs weren't there by natural means.

Chloé saw something out of her peripheral vision. It was a shadow being reflected on some rocks that acted like a mirror.

 _"EEEEEEK!"_ Chloé screamed before backing herself against the wall.

"Worry not, my queen!" Pollen stated as she flew in front of the shadow and noticed her own reflection in the mirror-like rock. "It's only our reflections."

Chloé heaved a sigh of relief before standing up and saying, "Ugh, I should've known that."

The two continued down to the bottom of the stairs. They entered a chamber that was similar to a tomb of some sort, only there weren't any coffins or anything. At the back of the room, up on a higher portion of the floor was an altar-like dais. On top of it was a pair of beautiful earrings. They were heart-shaped with wings and had heart-shaped, deep blue stones mounted on gold, in a design similar to the Miraculous Something Old.

"Wait a second, is that...?" Chloé began. Pollen's eyes were still glowing, and the Miracle Box in the Angel Realm opened up again to reveal white light.

"Aha! The Something Blue! It _has_ to be the Something Blue!" Chloé stated as Pollen began to flit around the pair of earrings.

She began to run forward to retrieve them, but there was a loud _BANG_ behind her. Pollen ducked into hiding while Chloé whirled around to face Frightningale.

The akuma dashed past Chloé, shoving the blonde to the ground. She landed on her butt, screaming in pain.

"This has to be one of the Miraculous Something Four! It's giving off love waves, so I have reason to be sure!" Frightningale stated before firing an akuma blast at the earrings.

The earrings deflected the blast and a round, purple barrier was created around the jewelry pieces. The barrier faded away.

"I hit the jackpot today! Finding one of the Miraculous Something Four while hunting the Love Angels all in the same day!" Frightningale cheered.

"Hey!" Chloé shouted, getting the akuma's attention. "You're not gonna take one of the Miraculous Something Four if _I_ have anything to say about it!"

"Don't be a baby and whine! This piece of the Miraculous Something Four is _mine!_ " Frightningale spoke as she cracked her whip and created a huge light blast.

Chloé squeezed her eyes shut before the light faded. She opened her blues and saw the akuma was gone.

"Come on, Pollen, we can't let her get away with that piece of the Miraculous Something Four!" Chloé ordered as she and her kwami dashed back up the way they came in.

Chloé was still running to keep pace with Frightningale, before shouting, "Hold it right there!"

Frightningale fired another blast at Chloé, but she swiftly jumped out of the way and made eye contact with Pollen.

 _"Growing Wedding Flower! Bridal Change, Wedding Dress Transform! Angel Subjection Queen Bee!"_

"I can't believe my eyes! You were a Love Angel in disguise?!" Frightningale shouted.

She cracked her whip again, but Queen Bee jumped out of the way. Frightningale kept firing shots at Queen Bee, who kept running out of the way and dodging the blasts, allowing them to hit the trees and knock them down.

 _"Venom Spin!"_ Queen Bee shouted while firing her top.

Frightningale fired another blast to retaliate. The two magic blasts collided and created a giant blast of white light. When it faded, Queen Bee's top came back to her and she noticed something...

"It didn't work?! _Ridiculous! Utterly ridiculous!_ " Queen Bee complained.

Back with Alya and Marinette, they were still looking around for their friends.

"Where'd everyone go?" Alya questioned.

 _"GIRLS!"_ Adrien hollered as he found the girls and caught up to them. "More trouble!"

"What now?" Marinette asked.

"It's your friend Chloé! She's gone now!" Adrien informed.

"Not Chloé too!" Alya complained. "Tell me you're not kidding!"

"I'm not," Adrien relented. "We'd better keep looking."

"Let's go!" Marinette shouted as she and Alya ran in one direction while Adrien ran in another.

The girls were searching nearby the statues that Chloé was nearby earlier. They heard some blasting noises and Alya looked out ahead.

"Over there!" Alya shouted as she pointed out the light. "That light doesn't look normal, does it."

"No it doesn't, Alya." Trixx agreed.

"We'd better look into it, then," Marinette said. "Let's go!"

Queen Bee was still jumping, tumbling, and dodging the whip and blasts from Frightningale. But one stray blast hit Queen Bee right in the back, shoving her to the ground.

Frightningale threw her whip up into the air and was ready to crack it again when Alya and Marinette came upon the scene.

 _"STOP!"_ Marinette shouted.

"What's the story for this akuma, Nooroo?" Alya asked.

"That's Frightningale! She has a magic whip that forces people to turn into statue unless they dance and talk in rhyme!" Nooroo explained.

"You're the one behind everyone going missing, aren't you?" Marinette accused.

"I thought doing that would be good bait. The Love Angels and I have a date." Frightningale stated.

"Don't just stand there! Stop her!" Queen Bee shouted. "She's got one of the Miraculous Something Four!"

"Say what?!" Alya shouted.

Frightningale showed off the earrings before taunting, "If you want em', come and get em'!"

"Alright then!" Marinette said, a determined smile coming on to her face.

 _"Lucky Wedding Flower!" "Cunning Wedding Flower!" "Bridal Change, Wedding Dress Transform!" "Angel Creation Ladybug!" "Angel Illusion Rena Rouge!"_

The girls transformed and held their weapons out at the ready.

 _"Mirage Bombard!"_ Rena Rouge shouted, playing her flute and firing petals. But Frightningale fired another blast, causing the illusion pellets to scatter and disappear.

"Uh-oh, it didn't work." Rena Rouge said, backing up.

"You three think you can stop me with that weak power? Believe me, you're going to have to do a lot better." Frightningale taunted again.

But a top string came out of nowhere and snatched the earrings out of Frightningale's hands.

"You're not taking these on my watch!" Queen Bee stated as she held the earrings.

Frightningale started growling in frustration.

She started twirling her whip like a gymnast ribbon to create a giant blast of light. She threw it on the ground, and the blast started blinding the Love Angels. They were screaming.

When Ladybug opened her eyes just the slightest bit, she noticed they were in something that was like a giant disco ball and the lights were _so bright_.

"Ugh... Where are we?" Ladybug asked.

"Welcome, Love Angels, to my domain!" Frightningale spoke as she appeared in a flash of light. _"Now you're in for a world of pain!"_

She cracked her whip on the floor again and sparks shocked the angels. The lights were also blinding them, making it nearly impossible to see.

"I can't see anything!" Rena Rouge shouted, her eyes squeezed shut.

"Girls, you can't look at the light!" Nooroo warned, covering his eyes.

"But if we _don't_ , we'll get..." Ladybug countered. She opened her eyes briefly to dodge Frightningale's blast.

"How are we supposed to know where she is if we can't see a damn thing?!" Queen Bee barked, and narrowly avoided another shot. "Nor can we defend ourselves right now!"

Queen Bee got hit by a stray blast.

"Queen Bee, you okay?!" Rena Rouge shouted in askance before being knocked over again.

"You three are going to be minced meat! Then Lord Guitar Villain will be so proud of me!" Frightningale spoke before combining her akuma energy with her whip.

The electricity intensified, causing the angels to scream.

Queen Bee was groaning and thinking, _'Where's the power of love when you need it?!'_

The earrings in her hands were glowing blue, as was her Miraculous glowing yellow.

The light beams from the jewelry pieces crossed, and out of the light came a yellow and black-striped baton. The baton had two jewels on each end that were shaped like bees, matching the design on Queen Bee's Miraculous.

The baton span before landing in Queen Bee's hand.

 _"Bride's Bashfulness!"_ Queen Bee shouted as she started spinning it in her hands, causing the gemstones to glow. _"Marriage Announcement - Honey Star Shower!"_

Large lights in the shape of bees started radiating from the yellow circle the spinning gems created, surrounding herself and her allies. They were able to see clearly as the honeybees flew around them, much to the horror of Frightningale.

"Ladybug, your turn!" Queen Bee told her leader.

"On it!" Ladybug said before lifting her ring up to summon the Lady's Crystal. _"Lady's Crystal!"_

Frightningale fired another akuma blast at Ladybug, but the evil energy was absorbed into the Lady's Crystal, then purified.

 _"Engagement Present! Lady's Crystal, L'amour Pour Vous!"_ Ladybug shouted as she shot a blast of pink light at Frightningale, bathing her in love waves.

The akuma screamed in agonized pain. The light domain disappeared, and Frightningale fell to the ground.

She stood on shaky legs, muttering, "I guess Lord Guitar Villain was right. If the three of us cooperated, we would've taken you three down in a fight."

"Where are the students you trapped, Frightningale?" Ladybug questioned.

"Don't worry. None of them are dead. In fact, you'll find them in that shed," Frightningale said, pointing to a beat-up large shed a few meters away. "This fight might've ended pretty ugly, but take the Miraculous Something Four as a gift from me."

She started glowing and fading into sparkles before flying to the sky.

Ladybug took her yo-yo out before raising it up to the air.

 _"Miraculous Ladybug!"_ Ladybug shouted, repairing all the damage caused by Frightningale.

The trio then looked at the pair of blue earrings in Queen Bee's hand.

"They're so beautiful..." Ladybug said.

"They totally clash with my suit, but I agree that they're beautiful." Queen Bee agreed.

"Absolutely fabulous, dudettes." Carapace said as he appeared out of thin air.

"Carapace!" Ladybug stated.

"Queen Bee, those blue earrings you hold are part of the Miraculous Something Four: the Something Blue," Carapace explained. "Now you've gotten two out of four pieces. Queen Bee, cherish those earrings, and the more your love for your friends grows, the stronger the Miraculous Something Blue will be."

"Got it, Carapace!" Queen Bee stated.

Once day broke, the girls changed back and opened up the shed. Like Frightningale said, the missing students were all lying on the floor of the shed.

"Hey, up and at em', everybody!" Alya spoke, rousing everyone up.

"Is everyone okay?" Marinette asked.

"I... I saw them! The monster were _seriously_ there! They..." One girl said before turning to Marinette.

Everyone screamed at the sight of the girls in their costumes before running out of the shed like bats out of hell.

"Well... Monsters _were_ seriously there, no doubt about it." Marinette began.

"Yeah, no lie." Alya agreed.

Adrien ran up to the group with a smile, saying, "It's great that you found everyone!"

"Yeah, they're all okay." Marinette reported.

"That's a relief," Adrien said. "Now that this whole thing is over, let's clean up."

"Good idea." Marinette stated.

Alya put the lid down on her tombstone prop, turned to the girls, then said, "Well, the courage test didn't go the way we intended. It went completely awry."

"Yeah. I think we can all agree that we shouldn't do this again." Chloé said to her friends.

Everyone, kwamis included, nodded in agreement.

"But you can't say it was a total failure," Tikki began. "Now we have another piece of the Miraculous Something Four!"

"Yeah, we're only two pieces away from getting the upper hand in the war against the akumas!" Marinette stated. "We gotta keep it up!"

The girls put their arms in, the entire group did a chant, _"Case Closed by the Love Angels!"_

They threw their hands up in the air, laughing in triumph and delight.

* * *

 **Okay, two pieces of the Miraculous Something Four found, two more to go! Now we have both the Something Old _and_ the Something Blue. But they still need to find the Something Borrowed and Something New in order to tip the balance of the war in their favor.**

 **More reviews means more chapters, please! And could you drop a few reviews on chapter 18, _please?_**

 **Next time, the girls are on their way to the Bourgeois' seaside villa for some beach fun and helping out Mrs. Bourgeois with getting a wedding dress ready, and Alya befriends the bride. But unsurprisingly, Stormy Weather attacks the bride in an attempt to get the Miraculous Something Four. Here we go again!**

 **Alright, time for another preview! Let's skip ahead and see about 44, okay?**

 **It was dusk. Nooroo flew all the way to the Eiffel Tower, then looked around, trying to find something.**

 **"It's been ages," A feminine voice said. Nooroo turned around as someone emerged fro**

 **"Dusuu! So _you're_ the one who called me!" Nooroo spoke, addressing a blue kwami with pink irises, pointed tail feathers like a peacock, and pink spots. **

**"You might be allied with the angels now, but your kwami sensing hasn't lost its touch, has it?" Dusuu replied.**

 **"I never betrayed the akumas. I was thrown out," Nooroo defended. "There's a difference."**

 **"No need for hostility, Nooroo," Dusuu said as she approached. "We've been friends since the dawn of our time, haven't we?"**

 **Nooroo's eyes started swimming with emotion.**

 **"Don't tell me you've forgotten all about me since you've teamed up with the angels?" Dusuu asked sadly.**

 **"Not at all... I could _never_ forget about you, Dusuu..." Nooroo stated. **


	20. Pendant from the Beach

**A beachside trip turns ugly for the angels on this installment of Wedding Ladybug! The girls are on their way to the Bourgeois' beach villa to have some fun and have Marinette help out with a wedding dress. The girls meet the bride, a young woman who immediately hits it off with Alya. But looks like stormy weather is on the horizon... Yes, I mean the akuma!  
**

 **Also, there's going to be a reference to "The Lion Guard" in this chapter, so keep an eye out! Now, more reviews means more chapters, okay? Please and thank you!**

* * *

Marinette and Alya got off the bus at a stop in the French Riviera. They were wearing summer clothing and sun hats, and carrying duffle bags on hand.

"Here we are!" Alya shouted in delight. She and Marinette were gazing out to the crystalline blue waters of the beach. The kwamis came out to look at the scenery, too.

"Wow, it's beautiful, isn't it?" Marinette said in awe.

"It sure is, Marinette! This is going to be a lot of fun!" Tikki agreed.

"Hey, there it is over there!" Trixx said, pointing something out in the distance.

There was a building on a hill that went right down to the beach. The exterior was a polished marble with black roofing and window frames, and the back stairs led right to the sand while the front stairs didn't

"What a beautiful villa! Can you _believe_ Chloé's mom can work in a place like this whenever there's time?" Alya spoke.

 _"Marinette! Alya!"_ Chloé shouted, waving to her best friends from out on the terrace. Pollen was out there, too.

 _"Hi, Chloé!"_ Marinette and Alya shouted, waving back.

The sound of tires squealing and a car horn honking tore through the air, catching the girls' attention and scaring the kwamis into hiding. They whirled around to see an incoming car about to run a child over.

They were stunned in shock, but Alya hollered, _"WATCH OUT!"_

A motorcyclist zoomed in and snatched the kid up, causing the driver to swerve and slam on the breaks to avoid the twosome. The motorcyclist let the child leave.

"Damned snot-nosed kid!" The car's driver spat, leaning his face out of the window. "Watch where the hell you're going!"

"Hey!" Alya barked, balling and holding a fist up. Marinette was crossing her arms, too.

The motorcyclist took off the helmet to reveal that she had dark skin, platinum blonde hair with a mint green streak in a bob cut, and piercing brown eyes. She was wearing a pendant necklace that had a pale purple gemstone mounted on gold, including gold wings and a gold bow underneath.

" _YOU_ should be the one watching where _YOU'RE_ going! You're the one driving that damned thing!" She snapped back, before blowing a raspberry at him.

"Wow, she's impressive..." Marinette stated.

The woman looked at the girls, smiled and gave a two-finger salute, then put her helmet back on before zooming away on her bike. The kwamis came back out of hiding.

"Wow, that woman was _AWESOME!_ " Alya said, admiring the biker. "Wasn't she amazing, Trixx?! She told that guy what for, didn't she?!"

"She sure did." Trixx agreed.

"You sound like you found a new superhero to love. Someone to replace Majestia, I guess." Marinette said, sweat dropping a bit. Tikki had to look on in agreement.

It took a bit of time, but the girls made their way to the villa. They came into the main room of the building where Audrey had a studio set up, with her designers on hand.

"Leave that dress as is, okay?" Audrey said as she was directing her workers in the studio.

"Yes, Mrs. Bourgeois!" One of the workers said.

"Wow! These dresses are amazing!" Marinette squealed.

She and Alya were looking at the dresses on the mannequins that Audrey was working on, with some of the other designers working on them, too.

"Alya, Marinette, perfect timing." Audrey said with a hand on her hip.

"Good afternoon, Mrs. Bourgeois!" Marinette said.

"You're here to help, aren't you?" Audrey said.

"We sure are," Marinette said. "All I really know how to do is bake."

"Don't talk like that, Marinette! You're an awesome designer!" Alya said as she patted Marinette's shoulders.

"Alya's right, Marinette," Audrey said, upset that Marinette was putting herself down like that. "I know you've got the chops to help me out. I'm not relegating an exceptional designer like you to kitchen duty. That'd be ridiculous, utterly ridiculous. That said, these women are useless when they're starving."

"Hey! That's cruel!" One of the designers said, and then everyone started laughing.

"Now that I'm in this compact little thing, I'm famished." A woman said as she came into the crowd, wearing a wedding dress. It was the same woman that Marinette and Alya saw earlier.

"Hey, it's you..." Alya said, surprised to see her again.

"'Yo. Name's Ramona. Hate to make myself out to be a glutton, but can we eat like _yesterday?_ I'm about to die from starvation." The woman joked.

"It's ridiculous, utterly ridiculous, the way you talk, Ramona. You're going to be a bride this autumn, too!" Audrey stated, hands on her hips.

"Wow, _you're_ getting married?" Alya exclaimed.

"Hey, no back talking from you, girlie." Ramona said with a smirk, getting another laugh from everyone else.

"Ramona, you need to hold still so we can get this stitching done." Audrey stated.

"Got it." Ramona replied as the rest of the designers came over to finish the dress.

The girls watched the women at work, with Alya's eyes glued to the bride.

"On a daily basis? Are you serious?" Marinette asked as she was cooking the steaks.

She, Alya, and Chloé were in the kitchen. Alya and Marinette were actually cooking while Chloé was leaning against the wall, painting her nails.

"Yeah. She gets saccharine-sweet, passionate phone calls from her fiancé all the way in Perpignan. He never misses a day, even if it's late at night." Chloé explained.

"How romantic!" Tikki stated.

"It _is!_ " Trixx agreed. "I'll bet you'll be going through that too, Alya!"

"What do you mean?" Alya questioned while she was chopping up the lettuce for the food.

"Come on, Alya, all we're saying is that you and Ramona are so alike," Marinette began. "No boy in their right mind _wouldn't_ find you attractive."

"Yeah, if someone like Ramona's able to get hitched, then you will, too!" Chloé commented, a little snidely.

"Hey, are you implying that I'd never be able to get a boyfriend?" Alya stated.

"Quite the opposite, Duchess Alya." Pollen stated.

"We always knew you'd be able to catch a man someday. You're feisty, confident, mischievous! And I see a lot of Ramona in you, so seeing Ramona becoming a bride just reaffirms that belief." Marinette explained.

"Oh, I get it now," Alya teased with a laugh. "Thanks for looking out for me girls, but you really have no business worrying about..."

A phone's ringtone started going off from outside the kitchen, then Ramona picked it up.

"Hey, bae!" She said, a sultry and seductive tone to her voice and a blush on her face.

Alya watched from the kitchen.

"But I guess you're right," Alya admitted with a smile. "How is it said in Swahili... "Sisi ni Sawa," I think."

Later out on the beach, Alya was kicking a soccer ball with Ramona. They were laughing, kicking the ball back and forth, trying to steal the ball from each other once in a while, and more. At one point, they both had the ball and were trying to force it away from one another, but then they both fell on their rears, then started laughing.

"Wow, those two _really_ hit it off. It's like they're best friends already." Tikki said from hiding.

"Yeah, those two are like peas in a pod, and it hasn't even been an hour," Marinette agreed. "They're really a lot alike."

"Total tomboys. No wonder they get along." Chloé joked with Pollen.

"I'm not so sure about that," Audrey said as she approached - the kwamis hid before the older woman could see them. "From what her friends have said, Ramona's more naïve that you'd really think, regardless of how confident she comes off as."

"What do you mean?" Marinette asked.

"She lost her mother when she was only seven years old. So, I guess you could say she had to learn how to be her _own_ mother," Audrey explained. "This ridiculous, utterly ridiculous tough act she puts up, at least according to the others, is most likely a front to hide whatever insecurities she has."

"That sounds a bit sad, the poor girl," Marinette muttered, but then she noticed someone else on the beach. "Hey, check it out!"

Down on the beach, the school fencing team was jogging together.

"Wow, the fencing team's here?" Marinette spoke in surprise.

"I don't believe this!" Chloé said, looking back to Marinette.

"Hey Nino!" Alya said as the team stopped in front of the two ladies.

"Alya? What are you doing here?!" Adrien asked, surprised to see her in the French Riviera.

"Is the fencing team here on a trip or something?" Alya questioned.

"We sure are, Alya," Nino replied. "But what brings you here?"

"You're in front of the Bourgeois' beach villa," Alya began, before pointing up to the terrace. "Chloé and Marinette are here, too."

"Adrien, up here!" Marinette said, waving to the blonde.

"Well, this is going to get interesting," Adrien stated with a smile. "A bit loud, but interesting. Anyway, let's get back to work, okay?"

Everyone on the team went back to jogging, leaving Ramona and Alya on the beach.

"Those boys..." Alya laughed.

"So, which one is it?" Ramona asked. "Those two boys on the fencing team?"

"Neither one of them, why?" Alya replied.

"When I know what I want, I'm relentless in going after it," Ramona stated. "Applies to relationships, too."

"Yeah, I'm exactly the same way." Alya stated.

"Thought so. Looks like I hit the nail on the head," Ramona laughed. "When it came to meeting and hooking my fiancé, I didn't get shy."

"Speaking of your fiancé, what's he like?" Alya questioned.

"What he's like..." Ramona began, before blushing.

"Well, deets, woman!" Alya spoke, eager for more information.

"He's cool, to start with," Ramona began, gushing and counting off the traits she loved. "He's _badass_ on a motorcycle. Kind, super-fricking smart, an amazing athlete, and he has an _amazing_ job!"

Alya had to laugh. Ramona's rambling reminded her of Marinette's babbling.

"Sounds like you've got it bad for your man." Alya joked with a smile.

"Oh, I do, but there's one _major_ flaw he's got." Ramona began.

"Major flaw?" Alya asked, her tone getting serious.

"Just one thing... _He's totally in love with me!"_ Ramona gushed, getting a sigh from Alya.

Ramona kept laughing happily.

"I feel a powerful love wave coming from that woman," Stormy Weather said. She was hanging above the water a decent distance away from the beach. "Maybe it's one of the Miraculous Something Four. Princess Fragrance and Frightningale were disasters - they couldn't get that prize. But where those two fall, _I_ will shine and achieve the goal!"

She created a ball of wind where the image of a smiling Ramona shined.

That evening, Ramona was outside, standing in a phone booth for some privacy. She was talking to her fiancé on her phone.

"There she goes again, talking her fiancé's ear off over the phone," Alya laughed. "Adorable."

"I'm surprised she never gets tired of it," Trixx stated. "Ramona seems so happy in this relationship."

The light inside the phone booth started sparking with black lightning. Alya noticed and saw all the sparks. They turned into whitish-blue ice blasts and ice started growing around the booth. Ramona was screaming as the ice and lightning blasted her from the inside.

"NO! Ramona!" Alya shouted. Up in the sky, Stormy Weather appeared above the booth and was shooting at it with her parasol. The girl was smirking.

"Alright, lady. Where are the Miraculous Something Four you're hiding?" Stormy Weather spoke.

"Okay, akuma, you're mine for the taking!" Alya declared. "Don't worry, Ramona, I'm on my way! Trixx, let's go!'

 _"Cunning Wedding Flower! Bridal Change, Wedding Dress Transform! Angel Illusion Rena Rouge!"_

Rena ran to attack the akuma, and held up her flute. She spun it in the palm of her hand and shouted, _"Mirage Bombard!"_

"You really think that'll work?" Stormy Weather mocked.

She used her parasol and fired black lightning at the illusions. The lightning overwhelmed the illusion pellets and hit Rena smack-dab in the chest, sending her to the ground.

"I'm not going to be defeated as easily as Frightningale and Princess Fragrance, Love Angel." Stormy Weather pointed out.

Ramona screamed, blacked out.

"Ramona!" Rena shouted.

But Stormy Weather fired another ice blast. Rena jumped out of the way, only for Stormy's power to change to black lightning _and_ ice, catching Rena Rouge in its grip.

"Caught in my darkness, Love Angel!" Stormy Weather taunted.

Rena Rouge looked at Ramona, who was holding herself up against the walls of the booth.

"R... Ramona..." Rena weakly spoke.

A red and black-spotted yo-yo and a yellow and black-stripped top cut through the ice/lightning blasts and freed Rena Rouge.

"What was that?!" Stormy Weather shouted, dodging her own blasts.

"Love Angels!" Ladybug said as she and Queen Bee got their weapons back. They stood tall.

"Ladybug! Queen Bee!" Rena Rouge spoke, happy to see her friends.

"For three Love Angels to be in a place like this, it can't be a coincidence." Stormy Weather stated.

She shot more lightning at the girls. Ladybug blocked while Queen Bee jumped back. She activated the Miraculous Something Blue, summoning her new baton staff.

 _"Bride's Bashfulness!"_ Queen Bee shouted as she spun the baton. _"Marriage Announcement - Honey Star Shower!"_

Bee-shaped lights attacked Stormy Weather, who was screaming in pain from the love waves. As she got hit, her attack on the phone booth stopped and Ramona stumbled out of the phone booth before collapsing on her stomach.

"Ramona!" Rena Rouge started.

 _"Ladybug Bridal Blast!"_ Ladybug shouted as she fired white love waves at Stormy Weather. But the akuma avoided it.

"I'll remember this, Love Angels!" Stormy Weather spoke before disappearing in a large blast of storm clouds.

"That was a close one, girls..." Ladybug muttered. "But I missed..."

"Ramona!" Rena shouted as she ran over to the unconscious woman.

She lifted her up by her back. Queen Bee and Ladybug ran over to their foxy friend.

"Rena, is she going to be okay?" Ladybug asked.

"I... I think she's only unconscious..." Rena said, before growling in frustration and knitting her brows together.

"What's the matter?" Ladybug asked.

"...I'm pathetic," Rena Rouge said. "I've got some nerve, calling myself a Love Angel when I can't even protect one person all by myself!"

"Rena..." Ladybug muttered.

"If the two of you hadn't shown up when you did... Ramona might've... UGH!" Rena shouted.

"Rena, would you _shut up?_ " Queen Bee ranted. "Don't go blaming yourself like that! It's pathetic."

"I'm not strong enough. How can I be a Love Angel...? I... I'm not strong enough!" Rena ranted as she pounded the ground with her fist, frustrated.

Her friends looked on in worry.

The next morning, Ramona was in her bed in the guest room at the villa - the girls had brought her back inside and put her to bed after their encounter with Stormy Weather.

Trixx and Alya were sleeping next to the bed, with Alya lying her head down on the covers, with her face in her folded arms. Ramona started to stir and wake. Trixx sensed movement, then ducked into Alya's bag.

Ramona sat up in bed, opened her eyes and looked at her surroundings. She put her hand to her head, a throbbing headache. Out of her peripheral vision, the bride noticed Alya sleeping there.

Alya's eyes opened up. Noticing Ramona was awake, the redhead sat up and said, "Ramona..."

"You were watching over me last night, Alya?" Ramona questioned sweetly. "Do you know what happened to me? I can't remember a thing after going into the phone booth to call my fiancé. But the rest is all a blur."

 _'Good, her memory's blank.'_ Alya thought, relieved that she didn't remember any akuma-related events.

"Oh come on, you think you're all cool, chill, and badass, but you should've seen yourself last night," Alya teased, standing up. "You were in the phone booth, and the minute you heard your fiancé's voice, you swooned and blacked out."

"Quiet, what do _you_ know?!" Ramona shouted before throwing her pillow at Alya's head.

"Hey, I was only joking!" Alya laughed. She pounced on the bed and the two of them started to have an impromptu wrestling match on the bed.

Outside, Chloé and Marinette were watching the fencing team's practice.

"Adrien!" Nino shouted as he tried to touch Adrien with his saber.

Adrien parried the move before touching Nino on the chest with his sword.

"Talk about impressive!" Marinette stated, clapping her hands. "Did you see what Adrien did, Chloé?!"

"Of course I did, Marinette." Chloé spoke.

"Don't you think Adrien and the rest of the team is amazing, Alya?!" Marinette questioned Alya.

But the two girls noticed that Alya's mind was elsewhere.

"Poor girl," Marinette began. "She hasn't forgiven herself for last night. She isn't okay."

"It's ridiculous, utterly ridiculous that she's beating herself up over this." Chloé stated, crossing her arms and rolling her eyes.

Later that evening...

"Fireworks?" Audrey asked. She was sitting in her chair while drinking some tea.

"Yeah, they're having a fireworks display on the beach tonight." Chloé said, holding up the flyer.

"Well, considering how hard we've been working..." Audrey stated, contemplating the idea. "I guess it wouldn't be _too_ terrible to watch fireworks tonight."

"Alright!" Ramona shouted.

Alya merely walked out onto the porch.

"Alya..." Marinette began, but Ramona gave Marinette the hand.

"I'll take care of it." Ramona stated as she followed Alya.

Alya was outside, leaning her arms against the railing and looking up at the sky.

"Are you okay, Alya?" Trixx asked.

"I..." Alya began, but...

"Boy trouble?" Ramona asked; Trixx hid. "Nah, that's unlikely."

"Ramona." Alya spoke as her new friend came to join her.

"A fight with Chloé and Marinette, perhaps?" Ramona questioned. "No, that's probably not the issue, either."

"What are you talking about, Ramona?" Alya asked.

"You can confide in me, Alya," Ramona stated. "You can tell me what the matter is."

"Translation?" Alya questioned again.

"Why are you so quiet? It isn't like you." Ramona said.

"Hey, just because I'm quiet doesn't mean there's something's bothering me, Ramona." Alya protested.

"Sisi ni sawa indeed," Ramona laughed. "You sound so much like me, it's like I'm listening to myself on a recording."

Alya looked at Ramona, surprised.

"You're only kidding yourself," Ramona started. "Your besties can see right through your façade no matter how much you try. There are people in this world that truly care about you, and as a result they can tell whenever you're not feeling like yourself. Scared, worried, whatever. They'll be able to tell; they always understand."

Alya blinked at Ramona's wisdom - Trixx was peeking out from hiding, also listening to Ramona.

"That's why you gotta be good to all of your friends. If not, they'll scatter like roaches when the lights go on, and the care that they have for each other is gonna get weaker... Hahaha! This is such a tricky thing for me to say." Ramona continued.

"Did your fiancé tell you that?" Alya asked with a clever smile.

"Yep. Observant and clever, aren't you?" Ramona commented. The two ladies laughed.

Ramona reached behind her neck and undid her pendant. She held it up to show Alya.

"What...?" Alya questioned.

"I bought this for myself when I was a child." Ramona began as a flashback in sepia tone started.

She was younger, her hair was longer, and it was straight blonde with no streaks in it. She was looking at the pendant in the window of a small jewelry shop.

"My mom had died, and I was having a really bad day, so I bought this to cheer myself up," Ramona explained as the flashback ended. "Ever since then, I always feel better whenever I look at this pendant."

Ramona went behind Alya, and put the pendant around her neck. It hung just above the Fox Miraculous.

"Huh?" Alya asked as she looked at the pendant.

"Think of this as me giving you consent to borrow this for the rest of your life." Ramona stated as she walked back to her spot.

"Ramona, I can't..." Alya began to protest.

"Don't worry about it," Ramona stated. "Thing is, I've outgrown the need for it."

Alya gave a huge smile, feeling a lot better. She looked at her new pendant.

Later on at the fireworks show, the girls were watching them, with Alya being more enthusiastic than usual.

"These fireworks are unreal!" Alya commented with a huge smile.

"Talk about doing a complete 180, Alya," Marinette stated. "You're so perky now."

"Yeah. What a waste of time, worrying about you," Chloé scoffed. "We should've known you'd bounce back."

"Indeed. We were fraught with worry about your emotional state, Duchess Alya," Pollen said. "It's a relief to know that you're okay."

"Yeah, you really had us going." Tikki agreed.

Ramona saw that Alya was wearing the pendant. She turned around and smiled with a happy nod, satisfied that her pep talk worked.

"Idiot humans... Welcome to the dark, cruel weather that _I_ rule," Stormy Weather began. "And even if those stupid Love Angels try to stop me, I'm untouchable."

She took out her parasol and blasted ice at the women, minus Ramona. Everyone shouted as the ice encased them.

"What the hell is going on?!" Audrey demanded as she and the others started pounding on the ice.

"What?!" Chloé began.

"An akuma!" Marinette declared. The kwamis came out of hiding.

Ramona was screaming as Stormy Weather tied her up in akuma energy and brought her closer.

"You're not getting away now," Stormy Weather declared. "I _know_ a love wave _this_ strong has to be coming from one of the Miraculous Something Four. So hand it over _now!_ "

Instead of responding, Ramona blacked out again.

"I thought so! She's back again, and for some reason that moron thinks that the love waves that Ramona radiates are the Miraculous Something Four!" Alya summarized.

"Then let's roll, girls!" Marinette declared.

The girls nodded in agreement.

"Release that woman, akuma!" Marinette shouted.

All three Love Angels confronted the akuma.

"Let Ramona go!" Rena ordered.

"Well, well, well, if it isn't the Love Angels. But do you _really_ think you have time to fight me?" Stormy Weather questioned with a smirk.

"I think I see what she means! Look!" Ladybug said, pointing out the problem.

Audrey and her staff were trapped in a giant ball of ice and there were akuma energy-infused, ice-cold winds were chilling everyone to the bone and causing them to shiver.

"Mom!" Queen Bee hollered.

"You don't wanna leave them like this, do you?" Stormy Weather asked. "If the akuma energy doesn't kill them, the hypothermia will!"

"Not on our watch!" Ladybug shouted. She and the girls ran at the ice barrier, then tried breaking through with their weapons. No dice.

"Damn!" Queen Bee griped. "She's too strong. We can't break through."

"When the chips are down, the mighty Love Angels finally fall at my feet. Your powers are futile against me." Stormy taunted.

Rena saw Ramona out cold.

 _"That's why you gotta be good to all of your friends. If not, they'll scatter like roaches when the lights go on, and the care that they have for each other is gonna get weaker..."_

Instead of trying to free Audrey and company, Rena dashed towards Stormy Weather.

"Rena!" Queen Bee shouted. "What are you doing?!"

"Sorry, Chloé, but right now I gotta save the one who helped me get back up again after falling!" Alya shouted as she kept charging. "The one who knew what to say to encourage me, just like I did for Marinette the first day we met! If I can't save Ramona, then how can I save _anyone?!"_

Stormy Weather shot black lightning at Rena, knocking her back. Rena did a back spring to get her balance back, then ran at her adversary again.

But Stormy Weather shock more lightning, this time knocking Rena onto her back on the ground.

"Damn you, akuma... Let her go... _LET HER GO RIGHT NOW!"_ Rena hollered in anguished rage.

Her Miraculous and the pendant started glowing. The Miracle Box in the Angel Realm opened, radiating bright white light.

"What...?" Ladybug began.

"No! It's the Miraculous Something Four!" Stormy Weather shouted.

Orange light and pale purple light radiated from the Miraculous and pendant respectively. The lights combined to create a new tool. It was basically Rena's usual flute, only shorter and it had an orange heart fixture on the end with a hollow inside. Inside the heart was a fox tail that matched her necklace, with mandarin garnets as the orange parts while the white end of the tail was a diamond.

 _"Love's Tribute Candle!"_ Rena Rouge shouted as she charged her weapon. _"Miraculous Fantasies!"_

Lights in the shape of fox tails fired out from the tool at Stormy Weather. She screamed as she fell back, letting go of Ramona.

"I'm here, Ramona!" Rena shouted as she caught Ramona in her arms.

"Take _THIS!_ " Stormy Weather shouted as she used her parasol to fire akuma energy combined with lightning.

"Go for it, Ladybug!" Queen Bee shouted.

"With pleasure, Queen Bee!" Ladybug agreed. She used her ring to summon the Lady's Crystal.

 _"Lady's Crystal!"_ Ladybug called out, activating it. All of the akuma energy Stormy Weather was firing was sucked into the crystal, motioning for the ladybug crystals to open the wings.

The crystal started flashing red.

 _"Engagement Present! Lady's Crystal, L'amour Pour Vous!"_ Ladybug shouted. A blast of pink light - purified love waves - landed a direct hit on the akuma.

The pink light faded to white, and then a calm, peaceful smile came upon Stormy Weather's face. She told Ramona, "May you always have sunny skies in your life, you young bride, you."

She faded into sparkles and left into the sky.

"Thank heavens," Ladybug said. "That's the last of Stormy Weather."

"Yeah." Rena said as the girls looked at Ramona.

Rena gently put Ramona down, stood up, then approached her friends.

"Once again..." Ladybug began, and then the three girls put their hands in.

 _"Case Closed by the Love Angels!"_ They shouted before throwing their hands back out.

Later on, the girls were standing behind the adult women while watching the fireworks.

"Glad to see everyone's okay." Marinette said in relief.

"No kidding." Chloé agreed.

"But what I wanna know is how that pendant Ramona gave you worked the way it did." Tikki commented, pointing to the pendant Alya was wearing.

"It looked like it was drawing power from my Miraculous all of a sudden." Alya began.

"Observant as always, Alya!" Trixx agreed.

"The Miraculous Something Borrowed." A familiar voice said.

The girls turned around and in a flurry of sparkles, Carapace appeared.

"Carapace!" Alya spoke, surprised to see the turtle.

"A gift borrowed from a friend is extremely revered, dude," Carapace began. "See, that's the Miraculous Something Borrowed. Now you have three of the Miraculous Something Four."

"But we can't rest on our laurels," Marinette stated, crossing her arms and growing serious. "We still have one more part to find."

"The Miraculous Something New." Chloé confirmed.

"Bingo," Carapace said with a finger gun. "You have to find the last piece of the Miraculous Something Four, guard it, and continue your fight against the akumas."

The girls all gave a firm nod.

Once Carapace left, the trio went back to watching the fireworks from behind. Tikki and the other kwamis (sans Nooroo) were also outside and watching.

"Awesome." Alya said as she looked at her pendant.

* * *

 **Alright, now the girls have each have a piece of the Miraculous Something Four! Old, Blue, and Borrowed! But they still have to find the Miraculous Something New. That said, now they're in for a power boost against the akumas! Speaking of the akumas...**

 **Coming up, Marinette hears from Adrien that Chloé's been hanging around with some girls that look like trouble, so she and Alya go to investigate. But then it turns out that Chloé's trying to figure out why her old friend, Sabrina Raincomprix, has gone through such a drastic change in personality. But almost as if it were like clockwork, Chloé's plan to try and get Sabrina to go back to her old self hits the skids when Guitar Villain attacks in the middle of everything.**

 **And for a little more fun, a backstory about how Marinette, Alya, and Chloé became the tight-knit group of friends they are!**

 **Keep those reviews coming, please! But now... Preview time! Episode 25, okay?**

 **Ladybug was running through the woods. She stopped when she came face-to-face with Zombizou.**

 **She giggled and said, "Aw, how sweet. When an adorable girl comes running after me, I have to stop and see what I can do to help. It's the teacher in me, after all."**

 **Ladybug took her yo-yo out and began spinning it.**

 **"What's the deal with this one, Nooroo?" Ladybug asked.**

 **"That's Zombizou! She can drain people of their love waves!" Nooroo warned.**

 **"Well, not me!" Ladybug declared.**

 **"So... Who's the one who has your heart, honey?" Zombizou asked before glowing pale blue.**

 **She shapeshifted into a boy about Ladybug's age, maybe a year or two older. He had teal hair and eyes, was wearing a jean jacket, had a Jagged Stone t-shirt on, and had a guitar in his hand.**

 **"Luka?" Ladybug asked, surprised to see her crush there.**

 **"It's so great to see you here, Marinette. This place is perfect for me to play music," "Luka" stated. "Come closer. I want to get to know you better, and maybe we can start our own love song."**

 **"Oh, Luka..." Ladybug said, nearly swooning.**

 **Then Zombizou glowed again, before changing into Adrien.**

 _ **"Adrien?!"**_ **Ladybug squawked before stepping back in shock.**

 **"I've always hoped that you would like me. I've felt the same way, Mariboo!" "Adrien" spoke.**

 **"What's happening here?!" Ladybug asked.**

 **"Keep alert, Ladybug! This akuma can look into the heart of anyone she's near, and turn into the one they love!" Nooroo stated as Zombizou kept switching from Luka to Adrien and back again.**

 **"Marinette..." "Luka" murmured, before switching back into Adrien.**

 **"Mariboo..." "Adrien" spoke back.**

 **"NO! Not looking!" Ladybug hollered, squeezing her eyes shut.**


	21. Starry Night's Piano

**Today on Wedding Ladybug, Marinette and Alya investigate when Chloé starts acting strangely, dressing in clothes that aren't her style and hanging with a group of tough-looking girls. Then they learn that an old friend of Chloé's, Sabrina, has gone through a drastic change in personality after some sad events in her life. But their plan to help Sabrina get back on track to her dreams as an amazing pianist goes completely off the rails when Guitar Villain attacks in the middle of everything!**

 **We're going to have a little fun in this chapter because while the show never really gave us any background on how Momoko, Yuri, and Hinagiku became best friends, I will here for our three love angels!**

 **Also, YES, I KNOW, Sabrina's going to be OOC here, and Chloé might seem a little OOC, too. But work with me here, please?**

 **Now, let's get more reviews on this story, okay?**

* * *

In the akuma realm...

 _"Imbecile!"_ Mayura coldly thundered, with an eerie calm to her voice. "You allowed Frightningale, Princess Fragrance, _and_ Stormy Weather get purified consecutively by the Love Angels, _and_ allowed them to collect three of the Miraculous Something Four. Guitar Villain, your incompetence is grounds for capital punishment."

"W-Wait, please!" Guitar Villain begged.

"Yes?" Mayura questioned.

"They only have three out of _four_ of the Miraculous Something Four. There's one item left, and I intend on getting it." Guitar Villain stated.

"You're saying you'll find and acquire it?" Mayura summarized.

"Yes! And I plan on putting my honor on the line!" Guitar Villain declared.

"Don't forget: failure is _fatal_. You'll die if you don't succeed. Understood?" Mayura stated.

"Understood, _ma reine!_ " Guitar Villain spoke before leaving.

Back in the human realm, Marinette was at the school's pool. She was wearing a pink two-piece with paler pink polka dots.

Other sports teams were on campus for practice sessions, too.

Marinette climbed out of the pool and stretched as she finished up a few laps.

"Yo Mariboo, nice swimsuit!" Adrien teased. He was standing at the door to the school pool area while in his fencing uniform.

"Hey, don't look at me!" Marinette said as she covered herself and turned away, completely embarrassed.

"Whoever said I was looking?" Adrien said after turning his back so he could remain a gentleman, but he was still incurring Marinette's ire. "...So what's going on with Chloé?"

"What are you talking about?" Marinette asked.

"I spotted her with some shifty-looking girls near the clubbing district yesterday." Adrien explained.

"No way! Chloé would _never_ hang around with girls like that! She holds herself to such a high-society standard that it's annoying!" Marinette said, turning back to Adrien.

"Who cares if you believe me or not? I was just a bit worried..." Adrien said as he walked away.

"That couldn't've been Chloé..." Marinette said.

"Hey girl," Alya said as she approached. She was wearing an orange one-piece swimsuit. "Chloé's been acting strange lately."

"Strange? How?" Marinette asked.

"I asked her if she wanted to come swimming with us today, but she said she had other arrangements. When I asked, she wouldn't answer," Alya said, crossing her arms in concern. "She's being totally wacky."

"What could be going on?" Marinette asked.

"You thinking what I'm thinking?" Alya questioned, a smile coming on to her face.

"Investigation time?" Marinette asked, her expression mirroring Alya's.

"Yes." Alya confirmed.

Later that afternoon, Marinette was in the clubbing/shopping district in Paris, looking around for Chloé.

Marinette saw something in one of the shop windows: a cute, pale pink dress with a Queen Anne neckline, a darker pink sash that had a rosette on the front. The skirt was ruffled and there were sequins on the hem.

"Oh, isn't this dress beautiful?!" Marinette asked.

"Marinette, don't forget that finding Lady Chloé is our top priority!" Nooroo reminded; Tikki nodded in agreement.

"Right, my mistake." Marinette stated as a girl her age, wearing a black leather jacket, sunglasses, and had blonde hair in a ponytail ran past her.

Out of her peripheral vision, Marinette noticed the familiar girl walk up to a group of tough-looking girls.

"You're late!" "You're new to our little group and you have the _audacity_ to be late?!"

"Listen, Chloé, just because we were BFF's as tykes doesn't give you permission to make me look like a fool, got it?" A girl spoke.

She had green eyes framed by sleek glasses. She sported red hair that was longer on the left and shorter on the right, with her bangs swept to left, too. Her hair had a dark green streak in it, she was wearing a dinky purple and green outfit that showed her navel, matching knee-high leather boots, wearing spiked bracelets.

"You sure this'll be okay, Sabrina?"

Marinette was trying to be inconspicuous as she walked by the group. Turning around just enough to see, Marinette's eyes shot open as she recognized the blonde.

Chloé had changed up her usual outfit. Her yellow jacket was replaced by a black leather one, her sunglasses were on her eyes for one, her pants were burgundy, and her shoes were black, too.

"There's a new arcade that just opened up nearby. Shall we go and scope it out?" Sabrina asked.

"Chloé!" Marinette shouted as she ran over to her and grabbed Chloé by the arm. "Chloé, is that you? What on earth are you doing?!"

"Who's this?" Sabrina asked. "A friend of yours or something, Chloé?"

"Yep, this is Marinette," Chloé asked, talking like a stereotypical thug. "Wanna come check out the new gaming center? Tons of dope boys there, last I heard."

Marinette's face morphed to confusion, having never heard Chloé speak that way.

"Hey, stop being indecisive." Chloé spoke.

"Chloé!" Sabrina shouted from a little way's away.

"Hey, wait for me!" Chloé shouted before running off.

"Chloé..." Marinette whined.

"Hey girl, you found her?" Alya said.

"Yeah." Marinette confirmed.

"I saw the whole thing," Alya stated. "...You think she's slipping back?"

"...That's what I'm worried about, and she's made so much progress, too." Marinette started as she and Alya started walking away. "But why?"

"Maybe she's got it in her head that she can get away with anything because she's a Love Angel _and_ the mayor's daughter?" Alya suggested.

"Who knows?" Marinette began.

"Hey Marinette?" Tikki asked from her hiding place. "This is something I've been meaning to ask, but how did you, Alya, and Chloé even _become_ friends?"

"I'm curious to know, too." Nooroo agreed.

"That makes three of us." Trixx added.

"It was a long time ago," Marinette began. "Long before _any_ of this Love Angel drama..."

 _~Flashback - Narrated by Marinette and Alya~_

 _"We were still in our first few years of middle school. Chloé was still a brat and a bully towards everyone. Alya had just moved to Paris, too." Marinette narrated._

 _Everyone was in the classroom. Marinette was sitting in the front as always, just minding her own business. She was sketching in her book._

 _"Hey girl," Alya said as she sat down next to Marinette. "What'cha sketching?"_

 _"Just a few pocket watch bags and protectors for Alix. She told me that she got an antique watch from her dad for her birthday last week! I wish I'd known it was her birthday, then I would've made her something sooner." Marinette began._

 _"Hey, better late than never, Marinette." Alya reassured._

 _Marinette smiled before continuing her sketching._

 _"What is_ that? _" A snobby voice spoke as a shadow came over the picture._

 _The girls looked up to see Chloé staring down at them._

 _"If you_ must _know, it's a watch protector for Alix," Alya stated as Marinette shut her sketchbook. "It's a late birthday present."_

 _"Why would you waste your time making something like_ that _to give her? You could afford to update your wardrobe. With your talent, you could throw out that trash bag you're wearing and make something_ much _more fabulous!" Chloé taunted to Marinette._

 _"Unlike you, Chloé, I like using my skills to make things for my friends," Marinette replied, not letting Chloé get to her. "I like making outfits for myself, too, but I like seeing the smiles my friends have when I give them gifts."_

 _"Sounds like a load of crap to me." Chloé spoke, rolling her eyes._

 _"And how would_ you _know?" Alya barked back, loud enough for everyone else to hear. They were all looking over to the scene. "_ _You don't_ have _any friends! And why_ would _you?"_

 _Chloé gasped lightly and stepped back._

 _"No one likes you, you're cruel, a bully, petty, and selfish. Who would waste their time being friends with someone like that?" Marinette said, trying to be a little more gentle._

 _Chloé's eyes fell askance, stunned silent._

 _"If you're speechless, then make like a banana and split." Alya said, thumb-jerking to the back bench._

 _Chloé's face grew a little sad as she started walking away from the girls._

 _"I admit that we weren't much better that day," Alya narrated. "But someone had to stick it to her."_

 _"Anyway, we got a round of applause from our peers after that," Marinette continued. "But it's not like that's how we ended up befriending her. You don't make friends by being mean to one another. Later that week..."_

 _"Here, Alix," Marinette said, presenting a pocket watch protector that she made. It was in black, a neutral color. "I made this for you as a belated birthday present."_

 _"This is off the chain!" Alix said, taking the present from Marinette. "It's perfect for my watch! Thank you, Marinette!"_

 _"It's no trouble, Alix," Marinette said as the younger, pink-haired tomboy gave Marinette a hug. "Happy Belated Birthday!"_

 _"You're the best!" Alix declared as she put her pocket watch into the protector before skating off._

 _Alya noticed something out of the corner of her eyes. She nudged Marinette with her elbow, then told her, "Look at that."_

 _Marinette turned around and saw Chloé sitting on the bench while glaring at the girls. But... Chloé's face seemed a bit wet._

 _"Is that Chloé..._ crying? _" Marinette questioned as she started to approach._

 _"Girl, what are you doing?!" Alya asked._

 _"Checking up on her." Marinette said factually._

 _"Are you crazy?!" Alya questioned. "You know how she is!"_

 _"But she still seems pretty upset." Marinette pointed out as she continued to approach._

 _"Okay, fine," Alya relented. "But I'm coming with you to have your back."_

 _Marinette gave a nod in thanks before the pair approached the blonde._

 _"Hey, Chloé?" Marinette asked._

 _Chloé looked up to see the two girls._

 _"What do_ you _want?" Chloé spat at them._

 _"...We just noticed you were crying a bit, and we wanted to make sure you were okay." Marinette said as she and Alya sat down, flanking Chloé._

 _"...You, checking on_ me? _Ridiculous, utterly ridiculous!" Chloé spoke as she crossed her arms and hugged her knees._

 _"Well, do you want to talk about it?" Marinette questioned._

 _"...Ugh, fine, if you insist," Chloé spoke. "It... It isn't fair."_

 _"What isn't?" Alya asked._

 _"I don't understand why it's so easy for you two. You're just two peasants, and yet you're more popular than I could_ ever _be." Chloé started._

 _"Hey! Peasants?!" Alya asked, appalled._

 _"And I'm loathe to admit it, but you were right." Chloé continued._

 _"Wait, what?" Marinette questioned._

 _"You were right about everything the other day. I don't have any friends, and you listed off all the reasons why," Chloé admitted. "...That's why no one would even think of coming to my own birthday party."_

 _"Huh? Your birthday?" Alya asked. "It's coming up?"_

 _"Tomorrow," Chloé confirmed as she took out her phone to show them a list of people she invited to her party. "I sent out invites to everyone who I_ thought _would like to come, but everyone said "no," and when I demanded an explanation, they all came up with excuses like "other plans" or some other garbage."_

 _"...Yeah, I guess a birthday party wouldn't be much fun if the guest of honor was... Well,_ you _." Marinette said, trying to be delicate._

 _"Yeah, I get it!" Chloé shouted. "Who'd wanna come to_ my _party...?"_

 _Alya and Marinette looked at each other._

 _"...Well, I'm willing to come tomorrow, if you'll have me," Marinette said, putting a hand on Chloé's shoulder. "Alya? What about you?"_

 _"I'll go if you'll go, but that's it." Alya stated._

 _"You mean it?" Chloé asked._

 _Marinette gave a firm nod._

 _"Don't get us wrong. At the time, we were reluctant to indulge Chloé, but she seemed sincere for once. So, we bit our tongues and decided to give her the benefit of the doubt." Marinette narrated._

 _"But we weren't expecting what happened the next day." Alya added._

 _The next day, Marinette and Alya were standing in front of the entrance to the Le Grand Paris hotel. Marinette had a box with a yellow ribbon tied in a bow._

 _"Are you sure this is a good idea?" Alya asked. "This is Chloé we're talking about."_

 _"...She just seemed so down," Marinette admitted. "Besides, it's not like we're going to take anything she says lying down. We can try and teach her how to improve, and this is a good place to start."_

 _"Whatever, girl," Alya said, rolling her eyes. "Just don't say I didn't warn you."_

 _Marinette reluctantly told the doorman they were here for Chloé, and he let the girls in._

 _The butler brought the girls to the dining room._

 _"Mademoiselle, your guests are here." Jean-Yves said as he pushed the dining room door open. There was Chloé, sitting alone at the table with a small birthday cake._

 _"...You two seriously showed up?" Chloé asked, surprised to see Marinette and Alya._

 _"You invited us." Alya stated, crossing her arms._

 _"Hey, don't get the wrong idea," Chloé stated. "I just didn't think you'd want to come after everything I did. I thought you were just saying all of that to make me feel better and weren't planning on coming at all."_

 _Marinette and Alya looked at each other again._

 _"W-Well... I made you something. I pulled an all-nighter to get it done." Marinette said, handing the package to Chloé._

 _Chloé hesitantly took it, then she opened the box. Inside was a yellow jacket similar to her own, only it had gold stitching in it to create embroidered yellow roses._

 _She held it up to examine it. A card fell out of the jacket. Chloé picked it up, and she read the card aloud._

 _"'Happy Birthday, Chloé. I know we're not actually friends, but I made you this jacket. I noticed that you always wear that yellow jacket, so I thought this one wouldn't be trashed. Worn? Maybe not, but hopefully not trashed. So... Happy Birthday, you queen bee. - Marinette.'"_

 _Chloé put the card down, then started crying like a baby._

 _"Chloé?! What's the matter?" Marinette asked, while Alya only gave a frustrated look._

 _"Yellow roses are my fav!" Chloé said as she hugged Alya and Marinette with both of her arms. She was sobbing into Alya's chest. "Ho... How'd you know?!"_

 _"I didn't, honestly," Marinette admitted. "It's just that yellow roses mean friendship, and..."_

 _"...What would I know about friendship?" Chloé asked. "I don't even know where to start."_

 _"Chloé, calm down," Alya said. "You too can have friends, but you have to want to do it."_

 _"And I do!" Chloé stated, wiping her tears. "I want to be better, but..."_

 _"Chloé," Marinette said. "...If you're open to it, I can teach you about friendship."_

 _"That makes two of us," Alya agreed. "I'll help, too. We'll be your friends, Chloé. But you have to be open to learning about it from the bottom-up."_

 _The girls held out their hands. At their feet was the jacket Marinette made, sparkling yellow roses and all._

 _"And ever since..." Alya began as more scenes with the three of them played out._

 _Shopping sprees, sleepovers, hangouts at each other's houses, picnics (though Chloé insisted on her lounge chair), etc. There were scenes where Chloé would make a mistake, but Marinette and Alya would correct her and help her correct her behavior._

 _"We've been teaching Chloé how to be a better person, and she's been at our side as a real friend. Hell, I can't really imagine what we'd do without her in our trio now." Marinette continued in narration._

 _"Yeah, I never expected Chloé to grow up so fast, either." Alya added, also narrating._

 _~End of Flashback~_

"But I wonder what could've made her want to go back to her old ways?" Marinette questioned aloud as she, Alya, and the kwamis were sitting on a bench, eating ice cream.

"Who knows?" Alya said. "We'll step in if it gets to be a problem."

* * *

Dusk rolled in over the city. Chloé and the girls left the arcade. They were soon stopped by some sleazy-looking older guys with glasses and creepy smiles.

"Hey, y'all are in high school, aren't ya?" One of them asked. "Where's your school?"

"Got any money on ya?" The other one asked.

"Screw off, guys," Sabrina stated as she tried leading the gang away from the boys. But one of the boys roughly grabbed her wrist. "Ack!"

"You've got the moolah, don't ya?" He asked again.

"Hands off, creep!" Sabrina barked back.

"We only need a bit." He continued, ignoring her order to leave her be.

"Do you have a wax buildup or are you totally deaf?!" Chloé snapped, getting the men's attention. "She said "no!""

Sabrina used this as a her chance to escape.

"So, is the money ours?" The other man questioned as he approached Chloé and grabbed her arms.

 _"DON'T YOU DARE TOUCH ME!"_ Chloé screamed as she roughly shoved him away, sending him to the ground on his rear, and making him hit his head on the ground.

The other girls laughed at the guy while Chloé glared at the assailant.

"You'll get it, girlie!" He snapped as he got up and charged at the blonde. She quickly ducked out of the way, using her foot to trip him. He stumbled, tumbling onto his stomach on the ground.

The tough girls laughed again.

"Oh, you're going to regret this!" He said as he got back up and started to approach.

"No kidding!" The other guy said, cracking his knuckles in preparation to rumble.

"Ugh, don't make me laugh. Getting violent without taking your glasses off? You're making a huge mistake." Chloé taunted.

"Shut your yap, brat!" One of the men shouted as the two of them lunged at Chloé in an attempt to punch her.

She tracked them with her eyes before ducking down to the ground. The pair of drunkards slammed into each other, then fell onto the ground, one of them losing their glasses. Chloé deliberately stepped on the pair, breaking it.

"No... My glasses." One of them complained.

"Told you so," Chloé stated with a mocking tone. "You two have _clearly_ been around the block, and yet you don't even know that the number one rule of street fighting is _always_ take your glasses off? _Ridiculous! Utterly ridiculous!"_

The other girls in the gang were looking on in awe.

That evening, Chloé and Sabrina were standing on a bridge above the Canal Saint-Martin.

"Thanks for that, Chloé." Sabrina said, thanking the blonde.

"Whatever." Chloé replied.

"...You're a lot stronger than I thought you were. I mean, you were brought up as a high-society girl and all..." Sabrina spoke.

"Don't give me that crap," Chloé stated. "I mean, _come on,_ Sabrina! You have stricter morals, being the Lieutenant's kid. What made you give up on practicing daily? You told me that you'd be a top pianist one day."

Hearing that question, Sabrina's face grew said before turning it away from Chloé, who was looking at her with worry.

The next day, Chloé called Alya and Marinette in for a meeting. They were at Le Grand Paris Hotel again, this time in the restaurant, with Chloé calling for no one else to be allowed in or out of the dining room for about half an hour. The girls were given lunch, and they were eating. Since it was just them, the kwamis were also out and eating.

"...So you joined the gang to look into someone?" Marinette summarized as she ate one of her scallops. Tikki and the other kwamis were eating the plate of treats that Chloé ordered.

"Yep." Chloé confirmed.

"Why?" Alya asked.

"Well, before the three of us became friends, I had a friend as a little kid. Sabrina." Chloé added.

"Sabrina..." Marinette muttered, then remembered the red-haired, green-eyed girl that was in the gang.

"She was always a mousy kind of girl, but sweet enough to people whenever the two of us weren't being bitches to everyone," Chloé spoke. "But then I heard through the grapevine that she made a total 180. It's like she just snapped, and started being reckless, living life in the fast and dangerous lane. I just wanted to figure out what the hell happened."

"So _that's_ what's going on here." Trixx said.

"Indeed," Pollen agreed. "Otherwise my queen would want nothing to do with riffraff such as those girls."

"That's good news." Alya said.

"Yeah, we were worried that you were backsliding into your old ways," Marinette admitted. "I'm glad that we were wrong."

"Sorry for scaring you two," Chloé said. "I probably should've told you what I was doing earlier."

Marinette smiled with a nod before saying, "That really would've saved us a lot of worry."

"Anyway, deets, Chloé," Alya said, leaning in closer to Chloé. "Did you get the information you were looking for?"

"Yeah..." Chloé began.

 _~Flashback - Narrated by Chloé~_

 _A younger Sabrina, with her hair parted down the middle and wearing a sweater vest-skirt combination and hairband was sitting at a piano bench in front of a giant white grand piano, in a palatial room. She was playing the keys like a pro while an older girl with similar features and dress was standing behind her. The only difference was height, hair length (it was longer) and eye color (blue). The girl was holding a small calico cat in her arms._

 _"Sabrina had an older sister by about five years, Savannah," Chloé narrated. "She'd always give Sabrina piano lessons."_

 _Sabrina stopped on the piano._

 _"Play it again, Sabrina?" Savannah asked._

 _"Okay!" Sabrina said before looking her sister in the eyes. "Hey Savannah? Promise me that when I'm older, we'll both be amazing pianists?"_

 _"It's a promise." Savannah stated._

 _Sabrina went back to playing the piano._

 _"Sabrina dreamed about the two of them becoming some of the best pianists in the world!" Chloé narrated._

 _The scene changed to black._

 _"But Savannah took ill one day..." Chloé continued._

 _The scene then came to the graveyard where there was a tombstone that read the name "Savannah Raincomprix" on it._

 _"Sis! You lied to me! You promised me..." Sabrina cried as she knelt in front of the headstone. Savannah's cat was next to Sabrina. "Alone... I can't do this alone!"_

 _She sobbed heavily, wailing._

 _"Almost as if it was following Savannah, her cat passed away soon after." Chloé narrated as the cat also faded from the scene._

 _~End of Flashback~_

"Sabrina's heart was like glass. Once her sister died, it was like her heart shattered to pieces," Chloé explained; the girls were now at the park, sitting on the swings. "Started hating everything, not caring about a thing with her life. She abandoned the piano, too."

"Ouch." Marinette stated.

"I want to help her be happy again so she'll get back to the piano." Chloé spoke.

"Count me in to help." Marinette declared.

"I'm in, too!" Alya spoke.

"Any ideas on what to do, Chloé?" Tikki asked.

"Here's how I imagine everything going..." Chloé said, closing her eyes.

 _~Fantasy Sequence~_

 _The scene changed to Sabrina standing on an outdoor stage in front of a large piano. She was looking around._

 _Piano music started playing, prompting a gasp from Sabrina. The girl turned around, then looked up to the see the ghost of Savannah, holding on to the cat, floating above her._

 _"Sis!" Sabrina spoke in shock._

 _"Sabrina. You have to fulfill our childhood promise," Savannah said gently. "You must become a top pianist as an adult. Promise me, Sabrina."_

 _Sabrina looked at her sister's ghost with swimming eyes._

 _"If there's one person Sabrina would always listen to, it's Savannah." Chloé narrated_

 _~End of Fantasy~_

"If Sabrina's such a sap, then listening to the words of encouragement from her late sister up above could snap her out of this and make her go back to the way she once was. She'll play piano again!" Chloé spoke.

"You sure that'll work, Chloé?" Alya asked, doubtful.

"Of course I'm not sure," Chloé snipped. "But I gotta try! You two are gonna help, aren't you?"

"Naturally, Chloé!" Marinette said. "But do you have any ideas on how to pull this off?"

"First thing's first," Chloé said, standing up. "Marinette's about the same size as Savannah. We dress Marinette up as Savannah, and no one would know."

Chloé presented a picture of Savannah on her phone to the girls.

"I see _some_ resemblance," Alya commented. "They have the same eyes and skin tone... And the shape of their faces is there, too."

"Chloé, are you forgetting that I can't fly?" Marinette questioned.

"What do you think piano wire's for?" Chloé snarked back.

Marinette's face paled and she sweat dropped at the idea of being a giant marionette.

"And the cat?" Alya asked.

"Piece of cake: Marinette can make a stuffed calico cat and we'll have Nooroo voice it." Chloé spoke.

Nooroo, who was hiding in Marinette's bag, had heard everything and was _not_ looking forward to it.

"Now that leaves one problem: who can play the piano?" Chloé spoke. "I don't know anyone who can play as well as Savannah did."

"I can do it." A voice said, prompting the kwamis to hide. The girls turned around to see Nino and Adrien approaching them.

"Hey guys," Alya said. "How much of that did you hear?"

"Most of it, mostly needing someone to play piano," Nino said. "I don't play, but Adrien does."

"You play piano?" Marinette said, crossing her arms in surprise.

"Sure do," Adrien confirmed with a nod. "Classically trained. Though I would've preferred being the one to hang Mariboo from the piano wire, I'm happy to help on the piano."

Marinette groaned internally.

All wasn't peaceful in Paris. Back at Montparnasse Tower, Guitar Villain was playing his guitar while meditating. His akuma energy was radiating and his eyes were closed.

 _'Where are the Miraculous Something Four?'_ He thought, trying to trace the love waves from the Miraculous Something Four.

The girls were at Chloé's place, getting ready for the plan. The kwamis were also out and helping out.

Marinette was looking in the mirror, wearing the same dress Savannah was wearing in the photo.

"I don't know, Chloé," Marinette spoke. "Just wearing this dress won't help me pass for Savannah."

"Well, _duh_ , the disguise isn't complete yet!" Chloé said as she shoved a wig onto Marinette's head. "See? Now you look like Savannah for real."

Marinette and Tikki were looking between the photo and the mirror's reflection.

"Yeah, sort of..." Marinette tentatively agreed.

"Looking the part is one thing, actually _playing_ the part is another situation altogether." Tikki commented.

Marinette had whipped up the stuffed cat in a snap, and it was sitting on the coffee table where Alya, Trixx, and Nooroo were.

 _"Peow!"_ Nooroo spoke, trying to make cat noises from behind the toy cat.

"Not "pe-yow," it's _"me-yow,"_ Nooroo!" Alya instructed. "Meow, okay?"

"Peow!" Nooroo tried again, once again failing.

"I'm serious, don't use the "p," Nooroo!" Alya stated.

"Meow-p!" Nooroo wailed.

Alya face-palmed, saying, "Incorrigible..."

"...I'm beginning to think we should've just had you transform and cast an illusion of this whole thing instead. That would've made it so much easier." Trixx told Alya.

"Are you nuts, Trixx?!" Alya disagreed. "If we did that, then that much love wave energy would be a magnet for akumas!"

"That didn't stop you during the courage test, Duchess Alya." Pollen added.

"That was just Trixx by herself," Alya commented. "Anyway, we've done too much to back out now."

"Lady Alya's right." Nooroo spoke.

Later on, the girls were setting the plan up. They were in front of the Place de la Concord, with Adrien playing the piano on the stage. Alya was sitting in the audience, listening to Adrien's piano playing.

In a more wooded area, Nino was pulling a rope to help Marinette hang from a piano wire. Nooroo was inside the stuffed cat, trying to voice it, but it wasn't very convincing.

"Nice stuffed cat, but it sounds so weird," Nino commented. "Hey Marinette, try practicing your lines up there."

"Are you sure, Nino? Acting isn't my strong suit." Marinette asked.

"You're not terrible, but you should at least try." Nino prompted.

"Okay," Marinette said as she took out her index card script. "'Sabrina, you must play the piano for me. Fulfill my childhood wish. _Our_ childhood wish...'"

Marinette wasn't the most convincing. She sounded more desperate and perky than etherial and wise.

"'You can't throw your life away. It's a waste of your talent. You need to survive! For _my_ sake, but _yours_ , too!'" Marinette recited, her acting still a bit off.

Nino went silent.

Marinette sighed and said, "Nino, could you let me down?"

"Sure." Nino said as he gently let Marinette down onto the ground and onto her feet.

"Ugh, it's hopeless!" Marinette complained. "I'm no actress!"

"It's not _awful_ , but it still needs some work." Nino commented.

"No kidding," Marinette said as she took the piano wire off. "I'm gonna go keep practicing. I'll be back in time to pull this off."

"Got it." Nino said as Marinette started walking away to practice her act.

Chloé was playing her part of the act. She'd gotten Sabrina and was now on the metro to the Place de la Concord.

"Chloé, what's going on?" Sabrina asked, crossing one leg over another while sitting on one of the seats.

"Just come with me. Trust me." Chloé insisted.

"I'm asking _why_ ," Sabrina spoke back. "I'm not gonna have you wasting my time, Chloé."

"...Fess up," Chloé stated, getting Sabrina's attention. "You're not _really_ happy this way, are you? Why'd you just throw your piano dreams into the trash the way you did?"

That touched a nerve for Sabrina. She hung her head and she muttered, almost inaudibly, "I... I can't."

Chloé looked at her old friend with owlish blinks.

"...If Savannah had survived. If she were around, then I'd be able to do it for _her_..." Sabrina elaborated. "But now that I'm all alone... I can't do it."

She started sobbing a bit, getting choked up.

Guitar Villain was up in the air above the city sunset-painted skyline, riding on Fang.

"I feel it! I feel a powerful love wave!" Guitar Villain said as Fang kept flying.

Chloé was leading Sabrina down the path towards the Place de la Concord.

"Chloé, how far do we have to walk?" Sabrina asked.

"Just a little more." Chloé retorted.

But there was a roar from above. Fang flew in circles above them as Guitar Villain jumped off his dragon and in front of them.

"What?!" Sabrina asked as the girls jumped back.

"The love waves are coming from here," Guitar Villain commented as his dragon landed next to him. "Now where are the Miraculous Something Four?"

He played his guitar while shooting black waves, subduing Sabrina. She was screaming in pain.

"Hey, where'd that other girl go?" Guitar Villain asked, seeing Chloé went missing.

Chloé had ducked into the bushes and was watching from her hiding place.

"Sabrina!" Chloé spoke in worry.

"We must act, my queen!" Pollen urged.

Chloé ran a little further into the wooded area.

"You'll hand over the Miraculous Something Four, girl, won't you?" Guitar Villain ordered.

"Enough!" Chloé shouted as she leaped onto the scene in her wedding dress as Queen Bee.

"Love Angel Queen Bee!" Guitar Villain spoke, stopping his assault and knocking Sabrina out. "So the powerful love wave I'm sensing must be from the Miraculous Something Four item you carry. It may not be the Miraculous Something New, but it's a piece of the set nonetheless."

Guitar Villain started playing his guitar again and shooting black waves again. She tried to block by spinning her top, but the blast was too powerful. It overwhelmed her defense and the black waves kept her down.

"Painful, isn't it?" Guitar Villain cackled.

Nearby, Marinette, still in costume, was running her lines and trying to practice. Nooroo and Tikki were out, too.

"'Sabrina, you must play the piano for me. Fulfill my childhood wish. _Our_ childhood wish...'" Marinette recited. "Ugh, this is so hard."

"Your acting isn't the best, but it's not completely on the D-list either." Nooroo commented.

"I don't need to hear it from you, too, Nooroo," Marinette spoke. "I know I can't make it as an actress in the real world! But there's no need to give me grief about it!"

"Um, Marinette, I think we have more important things to worry about!" Tikki said, getting the others' attention. "Look!"

Marinette gasped as she saw Queen Bee getting attacked by Guitar Villain.

"You're right, Tikki - we _do_ have more important things to worry about!" Marinette spoke, throwing her wig off. _"Lucky Wedding Flower!"_

"Now Love Angel Queen Bee, you'll hand over your piece of the Miraculous Something Four!" Guitar Villain stated as he kept Queen Bee trapped.

"Halt!" Ladybug shouted as she jumped in. She turned her bouquet into her yo-yo, started spinning it, generating rainbow-colored love waves. The love waves broke up the black music waves that Guitar Villain was creating.

Ladybug landed next to Queen Bee and asked, "You okay, Queen Bee?"

"Yeah, I'm good." Queen Bee said, catching her breath.

Guitar Villain did a hard riff and blasted more waves at the pair of angels. They jumped out of the way, before landing.

 _"Bridal Change go! Wedding Dress Transform!" "Angel Creation Ladybug!" "Angel Subjection Queen Bee!"_

Guitar Villain did another strum on his guitar and tied Ladybug down with black sound waves. Seeing her friend in danger, Queen Bee summoned up the Miraculous Something Blue and took out her baton.

 _"Bride's Bashfulness!"_ Queen Bee shouted as she spun the baton. _"Marriage Announcement - Honey Star Shower!"_

The bee-shaped lights landed a direct hit on Guitar Villain, setting Ladybug free in the process.

"Damn you!" Guitar Villain shouted as he jumped out of the lights and shot more black waves at Queen Bee. She gasped, almost unable to move, when Ladybug jumped in front of her.

She activated her Miraculous Something Four item, the Something Old, and brought out the Lady's Crystal.

 _"Lady's Crystal!"_ Ladybug called out, activating it. She used it to absorb the akuma waves created by Guitar Villain. The crystal started flashing red.

 _"Engagement Present! Lady's Crystal, L'amour Pour Vous!"_ Ladybug shouted, blasting love waves at Guitar Villain.

However, instead of hitting him, she landed a hit on his dragon, Fang. His aggressive facial features softened, and his growls turned from hostile to happy, including a big, cartoonish smile. The dragon dissolved into white sparkles before flying into the sky.

"No! Fang! Damn you, Love Angels! Mark my words, the next time I have an audience to you, it'll be _your_ farewell concert!" Guitar Villain shouted before vanishing.

"Well, we got through that in one piece," Queen Bee commented, before gasping. "What are we doing, standing around here?! Come on, we gotta get back on track! We're running out of time to get Sabrina out of this bad situation!"

Back at Place de la Concord, Alya, Nino, and Adrien were on the stage. Alya had her phone out.

"It's almost time to get started." Adrien spoke.

Chloé helped Sabrina sit up.

"Sabrina, wake up!" Chloé shouted.

Sabrina stirred before waking up a bit. She asked, "Chloé? What happened?"

"Don't worry about it. Come on, hurry up," Chloé said, before turning back to the woods and thinking, _'Hurry it up, Marinette!'_

Marinette was hiding, smiling at the scene.

"Marinette, your wig!" Tikki pointed out.

"Right!" Marinette said, about to panic.

Chloé led Sabrina to the Place de la Concord clearing.

"Chloé, why'd you bring me _here?_ " Sabrina asked.

"Just a little longer." Chloé stated.

"Can't you tell me what this is about?" Sabrina spoke.

Chloé sweat dropped, unsure what to say.

Nearby, Nino and Alya were trying to find Marinette.

"Damn it, where's Marinette?!" Nino asked.

"For cryin' out loud..." Alya complained. Nearby, Marinette kept scrambling to find her wig.

 _'Damn it, Marinette! Why are you late?!'_ Chloé thought, tapping her foot impatiently.

"Hey, if there's nothing happening, then let's dip," Sabrina stated. "The others are waiting at the club. Come on!"

"Hey, just a little longer!" Chloé spoke, stopping Sabrina.

"You drag me here, you don't say why, and all you tell me to do is wait! Not cool, Chloé, I'm _leaving!"_ Sabrina shouted before shoving Chloé away before turning away to leave.

Chloé watched sadly, but piano music cut through the air, forcing Sabrina to pause.

 _'Took you long enough!'_ Chloé thought, a smile coming on to her face.

Chloé stepped back as Sabrina stood like a statue.

"This song..." Sabrina muttered. She whirled around, but covered her eyes as a blinding white light flashed. When it faded, Sabrina opened her eyes and saw Savannah's real spirit, cat included.

 _"Sabrina. You must bounce back from this, and survive."_ Savannah said in an ethereal voice.

"Sis!" Sabrina shouted in shock.

 _"You have to play the piano. Between the two of us, you were the most talented. It's a waste to let it whither this way."_ Savannah spoke.

Marinette was dashing over to the spot, her wig haphazardly on her head while Nooroo and Tikki were ready to play their parts. But the designer skidded to a halt when they saw what was going on.

Chloé and the rest of the group were on stage, watching everything.

 _"Remember this, Sabrina. I am always with you,"_ Savannah stated as Sabrina was following her. _"It's up to you to make our shared dream a reality. It's up to you to become a pianist of incomparable caliber! Promise me this."_

Sabrina started running after her sister as Savannah started fading away.

"Sis! Sis, wait up!" Sabrina shouted as her sister disappeared. The next thing she knew, she was on stage, right next to the piano.

Sabrina looked at it, then sat down on the bench. She thought, _'I'll do it, even if it means I need to go after this dream alone.'_

Sabrina started playing that exact song again. Out in the crowd, the rest of the group was watching as Sabrina played her heart out.

"How ironic," Alya spoke as they all watched from a distance. "We set up this whole scheme to make it _look_ like Savannah's spirit came back from heaven to snap Sabrina out of this, then it _actually_ happened for real."

"Yeah, it's crazy," Adrien agreed. "Who'd have imagined that Sabrina's _actual_ sister would show up?"

"You think Chloé's concern about Sabrina reached Savannah's departed soul or something?" Nino asked.

"That's _ridiculous, utterly ridiculous_ , Nino," Chloé scoffed. "Savannah must've been worried sick about Sabrina and decided to step in. I _know_ that's what happened tonight."

The five teens watched as Sabrina continued to play into the night...

* * *

 **Okay, we have a backstory into Chloé's past and about how our trio became best friends!**

 **Speaking of Chloé, yes, I am aware that (Season 4 Spoiler) that she IS getting replaced as Queen Bee in canon by a very nice girl. That won't happening in this story, assuming I decide to keep going considering the lack of response it's been getting as of late. Think you can help keep me motivated by keeping the reviews coming, please?**

 **Coming up, the girls are just minding their own beeswax (hahaha, see what I did there?) with Alya at the mall with Nino, but the rest of the girls at the library! But they have to drop everything when they lose track of Nooroo, and meanwhile Guitar Villain is trying to find said kwami to use him as bait!**

 **Another chapter, another preview! Time for episode 33! Why not focus on a different one of the romances in this anime this time? A certain vixen and turtle, perhaps?**

 **Rena was groaning while in the arms of the giant moth. The proboscis that pierced through her suit on her forearm was causing akuma poison to spread through her. She was turning blue in the face from the poison and growing weaker.**

 **But there was a loud clang and the sentimonster vanished after groaning in pain.**

 **Rena Rouge fell to her knees, breathing heavily.**

 **"Rena, you okay?" Carapace asked as he caught his shield, landed, then went to check on the fox.**

 **"Carapace..." Rena said weakly.**

 **He saw the purple bruise on the arm, and he said, "Damn!"**

 **He got down and took Rena's arm, before saying, "It's spreading fast. If I don't do something..."**

 **"What..." Rena began.**

 **He put his mouth to the wound and started sucking the poison out of Rena's arms.**

 **"Hey, don't do that! You'd better not do that! If you do, the sentimonster's poison is going to overwhelm you, too!" Rena barked.**

 **Carapace paused as a bolt shot through his head, an image of a helmet going through his eyes. He looked at Rena, a breeze blowing around them. The two of them kept their eyes held on to each other.**

 **"...Deja vu, dude," Carapace began. "I could've sworn something like this happened once in the past..."**


	22. Nooroo's the Target!

**Thanks for the motivating comments, you guys! Keep them coming, please!**

 **Now, time for a final confrontation with Guitar Villain for the Love Angels! Today on Wedding Ladybug, Marinette, Chloé, and Alya intend on spending the day out for fun to celebrate gathering up three of the pieces of the Miraculous Something Four, but Alya gets tied up with something else.**

 **And things get more complicated, too. Chloé and Marinette end up having to drop everything and scramble to find Nooroo when a little girl mistakes him for a stuffed toy. To top it all off, Guitar Villain intends on capturing him to use him as bait to get the girls out of hiding! Uh-oh!**

 **I haven't watched "Loveater" or "Miracle Queen" yet because they aired out of order, so DON'T SAY ANYTHING ABOUT IT IN THE COMMENTS, _PLEASE!_**

* * *

Out in the park, Chloé and Marinette had met up wtih each other.

"Huh? Why can't Alya come?" Marinette asked.

"No idea," Chloé confirmed. "She just texted me and told me something came up."

"We had this girls' day out planned all week as a reward for gathering up most of the Miraculous Something Four!" Marinette said. "And she can't come? What a bummer."

"Have faith in her," Nooroo said as he came out of hiding. "I'm sure she only had to back out because of something family related, like getting stuck babysitting the twins in Nora's place again. Otherwise she'd never do anything like that."

"Nooroo's right, Duchess Marinette." Pollen added.

"Yep." Tikki agreed.

In the castle in the Angel realm, Carapace was in audience with Master Fu.

"Carapace, seeing you watch over the angels from both shadow and light makes me feel quite at ease." Master Fu said as he was sitting on a couch and talking with Carapace.

"Master Fu, I don't deserve those words, dude," Carapace responded. "The girls grow stronger every single day, and each one of them has retrieved one of the Miraculous Something Four. Only one piece left."

"Indeed. The protective barrier around our realm has gotten stronger thanks to finding three out of four of the items. That said, this could provide more incentive for the akumas to attack. We must be on alert."

"Yes, dude." Carapace agreed.

"We need to find the last of the Miraculous Something Four," Master Fu stated. "For I fear..."

"Yes, Master Fu?" Carapace asked.

"I fear that the girls are going to have to face even more brutal hurdles than previously..." Master Fu admitted.

Carapace grew a severe expression.

"Carapace, when I think of those girls in such peril, I get anxious," Fu admitted.

"Don't worry, Master Fu," Carapace reassured. "I have the upmost faith in them. I'm certain that they'll be the ones that'll save our realm of angels."

Master Fu gave a nod.

"Master Fu, you need to recuperate. The war with the akumas has really drained you. In the meantime, I'll be on my way back to the human realm to keep tabs on the situation. I must take your leave." Carapace said before leaving the room.

* * *

Back in the human realm, Alya was standing in front of the entrance to the Westfield Forum des Halles.

"Are you sure about this, Alya?" Trixx asked. "You didn't tell your friends exactly _why_ you had to back out of your plans."

"Knowing them, Trixx, they're likely to haggle me about the whole thing," Alya stated. "The minute I mention his name, they're gonna tease me."

 _~Flashback - The Day Before~_

 _"You need my help, Nino?" Alya asked as she was putting her phone away._

 _"Yeah. My little bro wants to start playing soccer, saying that he's not a baby anymore and he's ready to do big-boy sports. Problem is, I don't know anything about soccer cleats. I thought maybe you'd be able to help, your sister being an athlete and all."_

 _"Are you sure about me? I do know a FEW things about soccer cleats, but I'm no expert," Alya questioned. "So why ask me about it?"_

 _"You're the only person I could talk to. Adrien only knows fencing." Nino explained._

 _"Fair enough." Alya admitted._

 _"So will you help me?" Nino asked._

 _"Nino, I have plans with Marinette and Chloé tomorrow," Alya said. "I-"_

 _"I'll owe you one BIG TIME, Alya! Please?!" Nino pleaded._

 _"...I'll help, but that means bailing on the girls," Alya sighed. "That'll tick them off."_

 _"I'm sure they'll understand," Nino said. "Thanks so much, Alya. See you tomorrow at the Westfield Forum des Halles."_

 _Alya heaved a sigh as she watched Nino jog away._

 _~End of Flashback~_

"They'll _never_ let me hear the end of this," Alya moaned. "But remember, Trixx..."

"Stay hidden, I know," Trixx stated. "And don't tell the girls what's going on until _after_ the fact."

"Yep. Now _where_ is that damned DJ?" Alya muttered. "He's running late."

"Hey Alya!" Someone shouted and Alya turned around to catch Nino running towards her. Trixx ducked into the bag.

"Nino, what took you so long? And where's Chris?" Alya asked.

"Chris was throwing another one of his fits again, so mom kept him behind. I know his shoe size, so I decided to come alone." Nino explained.

"Just the two of us, huh?" Alya questioned, a look of mischief on her face.

"Yeah, I guess," Nino said. "Now come on, let's go."

Alya shook her head as she followed Nino into the mall.

* * *

Back in the akuma realm, Guitar Villain was looking into a crystal ball, looking back over all of the scenes of his allies getting purified at the hands of the Love Angels.

"Damn you, Love Angels! You'll pay for all of the suffering you've inflicted on me!" Guitar Villain vowed. "Now flames, reveal the secrets and weaknesses of the Love Angels to me!"

The crystal ball conjured up an image of the girls in one group, but then it zoomed in on one particular member: Nooroo.

"Aha... Nooroo, a kwami defected." Guitar Villain said as he smirked.

Nooroo sneezed and the force of it sent him rolling out of Marinette's clutch and in front of Marinette and the librarian. Nooroo laid there like an inanimate object while Marinette looked on awkwardly.

She took Nooroo back up and hid him behind her, saying, "Don't worry about that. Nothing to see. Anyway, I'm looking for a copy of this book..."

Nooroo sighed before gently leaving out of Marinette's hands. He started floating away before muttering, "They say that if you sneeze, that means someone's talking about you, right?"

A hand was reaching out to him.

"Ack!" Nooroo shouted as he was grabbed by a little girl with dusty blonde hair in a ponytail and brown eyes. She was giggling and looking at him.

"Okay, here's another book I'm looking into..." Marinette said as the little girl ran off with Nooroo in her hands.

Chloé was sitting at another table in a more isolated part of the library, reading a few graphic novels of her choice. Pollen was sitting on one of them.

"Hey Chloé, I've got the books." Marinette said as she approached her friend. Tikki came out of hiding, too.

"That's good," Chloé said, then she noticed something. "Hey, where's Nooroo?"

"He's in my bag as always, isn't he?" Marinette asked aloud as she looked into her bag.

She gasped when she saw that it was empty. No Nooroo.

"Oh crap!" Marinette said in fright.

"Mommy! Mommy, look at this adorable toy!" The little girl said, showing Nooroo to her mother. "I want it! Please?"

"I'm not sure, Holly..." Her mom spoke.

"But I was told I could look check it out. I didn't even have to look at a book," Holly begged. "Please?"

One of the library staff said, "You can borrow it, but I expect you to take a book next time. Is that clear, Holly?"

"Yes!" Holly said before rubbing Nooroo against her cheek.

"Oh no, this is bad..." Nooroo said quietly as he was nuzzled against Holly.

"Okay Holly, we need to get to the mall before it closes. Come on." Holly's mother said as she started leading her daughter away.

"Nooroo!" Marinette called as she and Chloé started running through the library to find the purple kwami. "Where did you get to?"

They missed Holly and her mother passing by. They left the library and started going out to the parking lot to leave.

"Any luck?" Chloé asked as she and Marinette met back up.

"No," Marinette admitted. "I even had Tikki look through the trash cans and the bathrooms! What about you?"

"Nothing on my end, either." Chloé admitted.

"Let's try outside!" Marinette said as the girls ran out of the library.

Once they made it outside the door, the car that had Holly and Nooroo in it passed by.

"Marinette, that car!" Chloé shouted, pointing out towards it.

"NO! Nooroo!" Marinette hollered as it drove away.

The car turned a corner and kept driving away. The girls were giving chase, trying to catch up with it.

"Please, stop!" Marinette shouted. "Oh crap! Nooroo! What are we gonna do, Chloé?!"

"Don't ask me! You're the leader here, Marinette." Chloé insisted.

There was a honk nearby. The girls turned around to see the Agreste family car. Adrien came out of the back seat.

"Adrien..." Marinette said, surprised to see him.

He came over to the girls and said, "Hey, what's going on? Is everything okay?"

"Impeccable timing, Adrien!" Marinette said. "We need some help."

"What's up?" Adrien asked.

Within minutes, his bodyguard started driving after the other car.

"Come on, come on, hurry up, please..." Marinette muttered. "Can't this guy go any faster?!"

She and Chloé were flanking Adrien in the back seat of the car, urging the driver to hurry up.

"Hey, there's speed limits for a reason," Adrien said, trying to calm the girls down. "By the way, why are we chasing this car?"

"Please don't ask so many questions!" Marinette pleaded.

"Yeah!" Chloé agreed.

"Okay, okay!" Adrien said, holding his hands up in surrender.

Marinette caught sight of the car making a right turn.

"Hey, the car made a right! Turn right!" Marinette spoke out, pointing in the right direction.

The driver made a hard right and tailed the van. They soon followed the car into the underground parking garage of the Westfield Forum des Halles.

Holly was walking alongside her mom, Nooroo still in her arms. The poor kwami was looking up at her while trying to find an opening to escape.

The scene had a red tint added to it. In the akuma realm, Guitar Villain was watching Nooroo in the crystal ball.

"Found you. Nooroo, formerly allied with the akumas. Found you, you turncoat." Guitar Villain said, smirking wickedly.

Chloé and Marinette were dashing through the halls of the mall. Adrien was hot on their heels.

"Hey, hold up!" Adrien shouted.

The girls stopped, meanwhile Adrien skid to a halt, his hands on his knees and trying to catch his breath.

"Adrien? What's the matter?" Marinette asked.

"I'm... Trying... To... Ask... What you're looking for!" Adrien said between breaths.

"We're looking for a little girl about waist-high." Marinette said in explanation.

"Yeah, with a purple kwa- er, stuffed plush." Chloé added, nearly slipping up.

"Why are you looking for her anyway?" Adrien questioned.

"It doesn't matter _why_ ," Chloé said, getting snippy. "What matters is that we _do_ find her!"

"Please?" Marinette asked, while thinking, _'Damn, where's Alya when you need her?!'_

Alya was in the shoe store at the mall with Nino.

"What about these?" Alya asked as she took out some soccer shoes that were intended for kids Chris's age

"Those seem about right," Nino said. "But knowing Chris, the minute he sees those, he'll complain about it because "he's not a baby" and those colors would probably be "too young" for him."

"I see your point," Alya said, putting them away. "How about these ones?"

"...I don't think anything's working," Nino said. "This would be so much easier if Chris was actually here. The little dude would be able to pick out the ones he wants in his size."

"No kidding, Nino," Alya agreed. "There's more shoe stores around the mall. Let's try somewhere else."

"Good idea." Nino conceded.

The two of them left without buying anything, and they went up the escalator.

Once they got to the next floor, Alya and Nino walked a few steps, but Alya's eyes widened when she saw Marinette looking around for something.

"Crap! Marinette's here?!" Alya said, thinking, _'She'll never let me hear the end of it if she catches me!'_

"What's up, Alya?" Nino asked.

"Well, well, well, if it isn't Alya." Chloé said. Alya turned around and saw Chloé looking at her with a cross expression on her face.

"Hey Chloé." Alya greeted, trying to be casual.

Marinette overheard the chatter and she said, "Hey! Alya! Right when I need you!"

Chloé and Marinette dragged Alya to the closest women's room to talk to her. The kwamis were out. With the exception of Trixx, the others were glaring at Alya.

"Alya, what did you think you were doing?! We had our entire day out planned!" Chloé demanded.

"Did Nino need help or something?" Marinette questioned, being more gentle about it.

"Yeah, Nino needed my help," Alya said. "Long story short, he wanted me to help him find soccer shoes for Chris. I tried to turn him down, I honestly did, but Nino was practically on his knees. What was I supposed to do?"

"I see." Marinette said.

"Ugh! I can't believe you ditched us for that DJ, Alya! And of all the times for Nooroo to be missing, too!" Chloé complained.

"Very improper, Duchess Alya!" Pollen scolded.

"Isn't that a violation of... Girl Code? Something about "sisters before misters," right?" Tikki questioned.

"Yeah, it is, Tikki." Marinette confirmed.

"Wait, hang on! Nooroo's missing?" Trixx asked, shifting the subject to the more urgent matter.

"That's right. Nooroo was taken away by a little girl about waist-high, and we can't track him down." Chloé explained.

"Well, we _have_ to find him!" Alya said. "Let's split up and see if the divide and conquer route will work. I'll see if I can get Nino-"

"Oh no!" Chloé barked. " _You're_ searching alone!"

"What? But Chloé, we're a team! Why are you doing this to Alya?" Marinette questioned.

"Listen Marinette, this is what she gets for violating Girl Code and not telling us that Nino begged her to help." Chloé stated.

"Fair deal." Alya said with a sigh and a face-palm.

"Speaking of Nino, what are we going to do to about him?" Marinette said, but saw that Alya and Chloé were looking at her. "...What?"

Outside the women's room...

"Find someone?" Nino asked.

"Yeah, we're looking for someone that accidentally took something of mine. Think you can help?" Marinette requested nicely.

"Sure thing, dudette." Nino said as he and Marinette started walking away from the bathrooms to track down Holly.

Alya and Chloé were listening from nearby.

"Poor girl," Alya said. "Why'd we do this to her?"

"We had to keep Nino in the dark somehow!" Chloé griped. "And besides, it's probably partially her fault that we're scrambling around to find another kwami to begin with! Now let's get going and find Nooroo!"

The two girls ducked away to find their purple friend.

In one of the clothing shops, women were scrambling for clearance clothes and they were all fighting with each other for their desired clothes and/or accessories.

Outside and up one flight of stairs, Holly was sitting on one of the benches. She was still holding Nooroo, poking his cheeks, stretching and squeezing the poor kwami as if he actually _were_ a toy.

"It's so soft! Like it's actually a living being!" She said as she examined the kwami.

"Because I actually _AM_ a living creature!" Nooroo squeaked, finally able to speak up.

"You can talk?!" She asked, delighted. "You're the best toy ever!"

"I am _NOT_ a toy!" Nooroo insisted as he phased out of Holly's hands. "I need to leave."

"What? No!" Holly said, standing up.

"This is bad. Lady Marinette and the others must be so worried." Nooroo said, looking around. Someone was hiding behind the wall in the next corridor.

"No, wait! Please stay and let's keep playing!" Holly pleaded.

"Listen, I can't." Nooroo said as he started floating away from Holly. But then he bumped into something from behind.

He turned around and paled. He was being stared down by Guitar Villain.

In the shop, Marinette was trying to move around, but with all of the shoppers scrambling for the deals, it was like being in a minefield. She was being shoved and pushed to and fro like a pinball in a machine. She wound up against the wall, then took up her purse to talk to Tikki.

"Everyone's so aggressive," Marinette complained. "How are we supposed to find Nooroo like this?"

"I don't know, so we'd better hurry up and find a way out of this crowd." Tikki stated.

Marinette gave a nod before someone bumped into her again. She kept a grip on her bag to avoid dropping Tikki. One lost kwami was one too many.

It didn't seem like Nino was faring much better either. He was being moved around, too, bumping into people left and right. The two teens ended up bumping into each other before falling to the floor.

"You okay, Nino?" Marinette asked.

"I'm good," Nino confirmed with a thumb's up. "Any luck finding that person you're looking for, dudette?"

"No, nothing yet," Marinette said as the pair stood up. "How about you?"

"Negative." Nino replied.

"Hey Mariboo," Adrien said as he caught up to her. "Oh, hey Nino."

"'Sup, dude?" Nino said as he and Adrien shared a fist-bump.

"I could ask you the same thing. Weren't you supposed to be getting help with shoe shopping for your brother?" Adrien asked.

"Yeah, well things happened, and now with all of these crazy shoppers around, we can't move around at all, dude." Nino replied.

Adrien chuckled playfully before waving a teasing finger at Marinette, saying, "Well, you'd get stuck _anywhere_ if you're with _this_ pufferfish."

"Hey! I'm _not_ a pufferfish, Adrien! Stop calling me that, I mean it!" Marinette said, not having his teasing.

But Marinette overheard something: the sound of a little girl crying, and crying _loudly._

"Wait, I heard someone crying..." Marinette said as she ran out of the store.

Nino and Adrien just gave each other curious looks. Then again, they knew Marinette couldn't stand to see someone in distress. She just had to help.

Out in the hallway, Holly was crying her eyes out, her hands over her eyes.

"Over here! I found her!" Chloé said as she and Alya ran over to Holly, who was still crying.

Chloé looked over to Alya with an expression that said "Help!"

Alya got the point. Chloé was still working on delicacy, especially around little kids. Since Alya babysat her twin sisters more often than not, Chloé often looked to her (and Marinette by extension) to handle situations with younger children.

Alya knelt down to eye level with Holly and gently asked, "Hi there. Is there something wrong? Is there anything we can do to help you?"

"I... A... A large man with a guitar came and took my friend away!" Holly sobbed.

"Who might your friend be?" Alya questioned kindly.

"A tiny stuffed toy! It could really talk! Purple with cute wings..." Holly sobbed again.

Alya and Chloé looked at each other, thinking the same thing.

"Gotta be Nooroo." Chloé whispered, just loud enough for Alya to hear. She nodded in agreement.

"Do you know which way that they went?" Alya asked.

Still crying, Holly pointed to the stairs that led to the next floor of the mall.

"Chloé, Alya!" Marinette said as she caught up to the girls. "What's going on?"

"It looks like our girls' day out just got a lot more dangerous." Alya stated. Marinette's face iced over a bit, understanding Alya's statement.

Guitar Villain was hovering above the rooftop of the mall. He was holding his guitar with both hands while he had Nooroo captured in a ball created by his guitar's sound waves. The poor kwami was trying to break free, but to no avail.

"Stupid humans! Have a listen of the terror of the akumas!" Guitar Villain shouted as he did a hard riff on his guitar.

He fired sound waves to the rooftop, and the spotlight-like shape landed smack-dab in the center of the crowd. The sound waves created a circle on the inside that was dark purple and very spooky-looking. The sound was causing everyone to scream in agony from the sensory overload. Humans were panicking, trying to endure the pain, but they all collapsed onto the ground. The sound waves expanded the circle and the entire rooftop was saturated in akuma-infused energy.

Guitar Villain started to descend, just hovering above the rooftop and looking around at his handiwork in admiration.

"No! All of these innocent people!" Nooroo cried before turning on his captor. _"You're a monster!"_

"Hah. That's rich coming from you," Guitar Villain taunted. "You're supposed to be an akumas' kwami! Now scream for these Love Angels of yours to rescue you, you backstabber!"

"So _that's_ your plan?! To lure Lady Ladybug and the others into this wicked trap of yours by using me as the bait?!" Nooroo accused.

"Now, how should I made you scream, Nooroo?" Guitar Villain asked, a cruel smirk on his face.

"Don't waste your time with that!" Marinette shouted from elsewhere.

"Say what?" Guitar Villain spoke.

 _"Lucky Wedding Flower!" "Cunning Wedding Flower!" "Growing Wedding Flower!"_

The angels were now in their wedding dresses, confronting Guitar Villain.

"'Bout time you three got here." Guitar Villain spoke.

"Ladybug, stay away!" Nooroo warned.

"Quiet!" Guitar Villain ordered. He used his hand to break Nooroo out of his prison, but then concentrated more sound waves onto the kwami, causing him to scream in pain.

"Nooroo!" Ladybug shouted as Nooroo, now turned to stone, fell to the ground.

"That does it!" Queen Bee shouted.

 _"Bridal Change Go! Wedding Dress Transform!"_ The trio shouted.

 _"Angel Creation Ladybug!" "Angel Illusion Rena Rouge!" "Angel Subjection Queen Bee!"_

"Alright, now give Nooroo back!" Rena Rouge shouted and lunged forward. _"Mirage Bombard!"_

But Guitar Villain enrobed himself in sound waves. The illusion bullets hit the sound waves, causing them to disappear in a puff of smoke.

"Damn! Nothing!" Rena shouted.

Guitar Villain cackled before saying, "Stupid! Did you really think something as paltry as those illusion spit-balls of yours would hurt _me?_ "

He took his guitar up and did another hard riff. This time all the humans that were unconscious rose up like zombies, with tired expressions and red markings on their faces. They were then surrounded by orbital prisons of black sound waves that Guitar Villain created.

"What's going on...?" Ladybug spoke.

"Listen to this, angels! _Human Sound Hail!"_ Guitar Villain shouted. The humans he was controlling started charging at the angels.

The girls were ducking and dodging the human projectiles. They screamed as they kept jumping out of the way as the humans kept piercing the rooftop while trying to hit the girls.

They were using their weapons as shields, trying to endure the off-shooting sound gusts, and being _super-careful_ not to hit the humans that were attacking them, but the sensory overload was overwhelming.

The trio was soon in a heap.

"We can't give up, girls!" Ladybug said as she got out from under Rena Rouge, who was lying on top of Queen Bee.

"You heard her, Queen Bee! We gotta keep fighting!" Rena stated as the trio slowly got back up on their feet.

They were worried about what to do, what with all the humans swirling around them in preparation to attack, and Guitar Villain ready to strike them down at any moment.

They all had their weapons up as shields.

"Fight back, Love Angels! Otherwise you'll die a _very un-rock-n-roll_ death!" Guitar Villain taunted. "Strike them down and kill these humans! Hate and destroy all forms of love in this world!"

Ladybug got an idea. Turning to her team with a smirk, she said, "We don't have to fight on his level! Let's practice what we preach: fight hate with love! We'll concentrate the love waves!"

Rena and Queen Bee smiled. The trio put their weapons away, then joined hands while standing back-to-back. Their Miraculous were glowing in their respective colors.

 _"Angel Love Waves!"_ The trio crooned.

They were hovering above the rooftop, and underneath their feet, pink waves like ripples on a pond were spreading out.

"What?!" Guitar Villain spoke.

The pink love waves started bathing the humans, and they were freed from their sound wave prisons. They all fell down onto the ground, unconscious. The love waves even freed Nooroo from his petrified state.

He got up and flew over to his owner, saying, "Ladybug!"

"Great job, girls!" Ladybug said to her group.

"A curse of the akumas on you!" Guitar Villain shouted. "So now it's come to this: the last ditch!"

He roared before turning his body into black and red sound waves.

"What the hell?!" Ladybug spoke.

"He's burst into sound waves?!" Rena Rouge stated, and the trio backed up in preparation for war.

"Be careful, you three!" Nooroo warned. "He means business! Death isn't off the table for him!"

 _"Death isn't off the table?!"_ Ladybug shouted. "He's willing to kill himself over this?!"

Nooroo gave a nod.

 _"DIE!"_ Guitar Villain screamed as black sound waves rose up from the ground and started surrounding the trio.

They were screaming from the sensory overload.

 _"This is my final weapon! I'm putting my life on the line for this! I'll wrap you in noise for eternity!"_ Guitar Villain shouted.

Nooroo took his hands off his ears before saying, "NO! I won't let you hurt Ladybug!"

He started glowing pale purple and shot a beam of butterflies at the sound waves. He pierced a hole in the dome.

"Let's get out through the hole!" Queen Bee shouted.

Queen Bee and Ladybug used their weapons to get out while Rena used her agility and Nooroo was flying.

 _"You won't escape!"_ Guitar Villain roared as he fired more sound waves at the girls.

Ladybug held her hand up to summon her Lady's Crystal.

 _"Lady's Crystal!"_ Ladybug shouted.

She braced herself as all of Guitar Villain's akuma energy via the sound waves was sucked into the crystal. It was more negative energy than she was used to, but she powered through to suck it all up. The crystal's wings opened up and the crystal itself started flashing red.

"What?!" Guitar Villain shouted, surprised.

 _"Engagement Present! Lady's Crystal, L'amour Pour Vous!"_ Ladybug shouted. She fired the biggest blast of pink love waves yet, landing a direct hit on Guitar Villain.

He screamed, but a few seconds later, his look softened and he smiled peacefully. He said, "So _this_ is the love wave..."

He closed his eyes, and then he turned into sparkles before rising up to the sky.

Ladybug was exhausted, having never taken in and purified _that_ much akuma energy before. She was breathing heavily before collapsing into her friends' arms.

"Ladybug! You okay?" Rena asked.

"I... I'll be fine," Ladybug said with a sigh. "But... Poor Guitar Villain..."

The trio was looking up at the sky. Once the sparkles disappeared, the sky and the surroundings turned completely back to normal.

The girls changed back and the kwamis hid.

About ten minutes later, Marinette cleared up the misunderstanding with Holly, telling her that Nooroo was a little work-in-progress stuffed animal she was making for her friend. To add some more water to the story, the girls took out the other kwamis to show her, pretending they were toys that Marinette had already made.

Holly, being the naive little girl she was, bought the story easily and accepted that she made a mistake.

Now Marinette was running around the rooftop with Nooroo in her hands, playing with Holly and letting her chase her around. Adrien, Alya, and Chloé were off to the side, watching happily.

"Please watch, Master Fu," Carapace said, watching from the highest point on the rooftop with a smile. He was watching as the girls were down on the roof. "The Love Angels are stronger than ever now."

Alya looked around and said, "Hey, has anyone seen Nino?"

"I haven't seen him," Adrien said with a shrug. "He just vanished. I'll shoot him a text and ask about him later. But I wonder where he went?"

They just shrugged the question off as they watched Marinette and Holly playing together, with Nooroo playing "Opossum" so-to-speak.

* * *

 **Alright, that's that for Guitar Villain! And Nooroo's safe and sound! That's a relief.**

 **Coming up, school's back in session for the girls. But where one akuma falls, another one takes their place. Now we have the Evillustrator, who plans on blending in to the human world to uncover the angels' identities and destroy them. Meanwhile, Marinette has to contend with the OOC behavior of classmate Nathaniel Kurtzberg, who tries to kiss her without consent! What or _who_ the hell's gotten into him?!**

 **Now, I'm sure you're all wondering: who is the Fourth Love Angel going to be? Well, here's a hint: her full name literally translates to "mirror blade."**

 **Okay, preview time! I'm sure you're all gonna groan at this one, but here we go... Episode 38. Hope you guys can stomach this preview.**

 **"Kiss me." Lila said, in a saccharine tone. She started lifting herself up to his face, puckering her lips.**

 **Uncomfortable with her being in his space after _blatantly_ telling her "no," Adrien pushed Lila away by her shoulders, much to her confusion. **

**Adrien gave her an angry and stern look. He firmly said, "I'm sorry, Lila, but..."**

 **The girls were watching intently, on the edge of their seats.**

 **Marinette was surprised at the next words out of Adrien's mouth...**

 _ **"I'm in love with someone else."**_ **Adrien stated clearly.**

 **Lila felt the ground crumble beneath her, her heart shattering.**

 **"Y... You..." Lila began as she fell to her knees.**

 **Adrien made to walk away when Lila stood up and shouted in an angry rage with tears in her eyes, _"How dare you?! How can you be in love with someone OTHER than me?! Whoever she is...!"_**

 **A blast of black energy radiated from her and swirled around, shaking the school.**

 _ **"I'LL KILL HER!"**_ **Lila screamed as black energy bathed her, and in her place emerged Volpina.**

 _ **"NO WAY!"**_ **Marinette shouted. "Lila's...!"**

 **"That phony fox Volpina!" Alya stated angrily at the sight of her evil doppelgänger.**


	23. I Won't Let My First Kiss Be Stolen!

**Time for a new villain arc! This time we have the Evillustrator, who intends on hiding in one of the humans to hunt the Love Angels down from within. In the meantime, Marinette and the girls are just going about their usual business, but Marinette gets the scare of a lifetime when classmate Nathaniel Kurtzberg tries to steal a kiss from her without listening to her protests! What's the matter with him?!  
**

 **And for those of you who figured it out, that's right, Kagami/Ryuuko is going to be the fourth Love Angel! But we won't be seeing her debut here for about another 12 chapters.**

 **Now, I've seen all of the remaining episodes of Season 3, so I'm sure everyone knows this by now, but (spoiler for Season 3 finale/Season 4) Chloé's been permanently benched and she'll be replaced. Not happy about what she did, but for my readers, rest assured that Chloé's not being replaced in this story. That said, I've heard her successor is going to be a very nice girl, so now I'm going to keep an open mind about her! In fact, I'm excited to meet her! A new friend for Marinette! Too bad Season 4 won't be airing until NEXT FALL! Oh well, I think after that rollercoaster of a finale (for those who have seen it), we could use a bit of a break.**

* * *

School had started back up again for the girls. The school had their annual art contest and the judging and awards had just ended. People were talking to the winners and singing the competitors' praises.

"Wow! Nathaniel Kurtzberg is first place in the Drawing category of the school art contest _again?_ " "I'm not surprised! That comic strip he drew up as his entry is professional-level stuff!"

The framed piece was a Nathaniel's colored comic strip that showed a team of animal-themed superheroes defending the flower clock from the centennial ceremony from some evil creatures. The team's leader was a girl wearing a red jumpsuit. The frame had a large blue ribbon with gold trim on it and it said, "1st Place."

A short, redheaded boy with long bangs that covered one of his turquoise eyes, wearing a red t-shirt, a grey dress jacket with the collar folded down, purple jeans, and wearing grey shoes.

"Thanks. I really appreciate the praise," Nathaniel said, hugging his sketchbook closer to him and blushing a bit. "But there were a few flaws in the sketches that I didn't notice until it was too late, so I was a bit disappointed in my work."

Near the sidelines, the girls were close to the crowd and they were talking about Nathaniel's success.

"Once again, Nate wows the crowd with his drawings." Alya said.

"He's been called "The Leonardo DaVinci of the 21st Century" from what I've been hearing around school." Chloé said.

"Can't say I blame them for saying so. He's good." Alya said.

"Girls! Check this out!" Marinette said as she approached her friends. She was also carrying a blue ribbon.

"Nice one, Marinette!" Alya said. "You took first in Fashion?"

"It'd be ridiculous, utterly ridiculous if they chose someone else to take first prize." Chloé said.

"Thanks," Marinette thanked, happy. "The dress didn't turn out exactly how I intended it, but the end result turned out even better than I hoped!"

"Sometimes that's how art goes." Alya stated with a shrug.

"Hey Marinette," Nathaniel said as he approached. "Congrats on first prize in fashion."

"Thanks, Nathaniel," Marinette said as she held out her hand to shake. "And nice job taking first in drawing."

"Thank you." Nathaniel replied while returning her handshake.

"Of course Marinette took first place in fashion," Chloé scoffed. "When it comes to art, she knows what she's talking about. I mean, compared to that comic strip, she's like another Coco Chanel."

"Hey, Chloé..." Marinette said, trying to gently get Chloé to stop.

"Well, _you've_ still got a long way to go." Nathaniel stated.

"Excuse me?!" Chloé snapped.

"Marinette, you really shouldn't be hanging around Chloé. I mean, _yes_ , she's improved, but she still doesn't deserve your friendship in my opinion." Nathaniel spoke to the pigtailed girl.

"Well..." Marinette began, not sure how to argue.

"Shut up!" Chloé shouted again, getting in between Nathaniel and Marinette.

"But isn't it true?" Nathaniel questioned. "Marinette should take my advice and be more careful about choosing her friends."

 _"Screw your advice!"_ Chloé snapped, shoving Nathaniel onto the floor.

"Oh no!" Marinette said. The girls all gasped and looked on at Nathaniel with worried looks.

Though Chloé felt remorse for it, she swallowed her words and said, "Don't you _dare_ give Marinette advice about giving people the benefit of the doubt!"

She turned on her heel before walking away, leaving Nathaniel on his tush on the floor.

"Nathaniel, you okay?" Marinette asked as she got down on the ground to check on him.

Nathaniel was looking at Marinette in her beautiful, blue eyes, and he said, "Oh, hi, Marinette..."

In the akuma realm castle, Mayura was in the throne room and she was calling upon another one of her akumas.

As if someone were using a paintbrush to do it, a portal opened in the throne room and someone stepped in. He was about average height for a human male, had pale purple skin, was wearing a white suit with black stripes, had spiky red hair under a black beret and had a tablet on his left forearm while holding a pen in his right hand.

"I answer your call, _ma reine_. I'm Evillustrator. How may I be of service?" He said, making proper introduction to Mayura.

A crystal ball in the room glowed, showing a bird's eye view shot of Paris. He looked at the ball.

"I'm certain that the Miraculous Something Four are in this city, and thus so are those horrid Love Angels," Mayura began, garnering Evillustrator's attention. "Your assignment is to go to the human realm, uncover the true identities of the Love Angels Ladybug, Rena Rouge, and Queen Bee, and _annihilate_ them."

"Piece of cake." Evillustrator said before drawing up another portal and jumping through it to go to the human realm.

He was flying in the air while invisible. Evillustrator was looking around.

"First things first: in order to find the Love Angels, I gotta blend in among the humans," He said as he came upon a group of boys. _"Excuse me?"_

Seeing he was intangible to the three boys, he landed in front of them, rendered himself visible, and said, "I guess you three couldn't hear me?"

They all stopped in their tracks, shocked at the sight of the akuma.

"I need one of you to lend me your body. Could you help me?" Evillustrator asked.

He rammed himself into each of the boys, but instead of going inside them, he bounced off them and they were electrified on contact. They all fell to the ground.

"Damn," He said with a frustrated finger snap. "Doesn't look like any of these guys have a body that can fit me. Better keep looking."

Back at the school, it was gym class, and Nathaniel was in his gym clothes. He was trying his best to do a flip on the horizontal bar, but he was struggling just to lift himself. He was kicking his legs, vocally straining, and garnering the ire from the gym teacher and his peers.

But his arms gave out, and his hands slipped from the bar. Nathaniel fell on his rear end.

The rest of the boys in the class were chuckling at Nathaniel's failure while the gym teacher asked, "Kurtzberg, you can't do even _one_ flip on the bar? Fine, go wash up."

Nathaniel was listening to his peers laughing at him, and he was red in the face from embarrassment and anger.

He went to the outdoor faucet and turned it on. He was rubbing water on his face. Up above him was Evillustrator, who'd seen everything. He couldn't help but feel for the young human.

 _"Aren't you sick of getting mocked all the time, Nathaniel?"_ Evillustrator asked.

Nathaniel looked up, and muttered, "Did I just hear something...?"

Still invisible, the Evillustrator landed next to Nathaniel and said, _"So you_ can _hear me."_

Nathaniel started looking around, before pausing and looking where the Evillustrator was standing.

Evillustrator then rendered himself visible, surprising Nathaniel.

"Sorry to scare you," Evillustrator apologized. "I'm a member of the akumas. It's nice to meet you."

Evillustrator then flew into Nathaniel's body. The redheaded human was groaning in pain, breathing heavily. Once he caught his breath, he muttered, "W... What happened?"

 _"Silly human, I've entered your body."_ Evillustrator chuckled as Nathaniel's body glowed blue for a second. It wasn't malicious, though.

"Y... You're in my _body?_ " Nathaniel asked, surprised.

 _"I'm here to help with the power I can give you, Nathaniel Kurtzberg,"_ Evillustrator stated. _"The roles are reversed now. You'll be able to look down on those who do the same to you."_

"Say what?!" Nathaniel asked.

 _"Try out the horizontal bar. Show off your talents and triumph over your mockers."_ Evillustrator explained.

"Hold it, I've never been the athletic type." Nathaniel protested.

But he started flashing in blue as Evillustrator instructed, _"Open up your heart to hatred. Open up your heart to resentment!"_

Nathaniel stood ramrod straight and his face went from confused and innocent to smirking wickedly.

He sauntered his way back to the horizontal bar, and with the evil smile on his face, he asked aloud, "Excuse me, coach? May I give the horizontal bar another shot?"

Everyone looked back at Nathaniel in confusion.

"I guess so." The coach said before stepping back.

Nathaniel grabbed the bar, then swung his legs. He started spinning and flipping on the bar as if he were a seasoned pro. Everyone was watching in shock and awe.

He let go of the bar, did a triple flip, then landed on both feet, sticking the landing.

Everyone gawked at him. Meanwhile, Nathaniel was looking blankly around in shock, thinking aloud, "I... Actually did it."

Inside, Evillustrator was lightly laughing in triumph.

Later after gym class, Nathaniel was alone near the edge of the school yard, hiding behind one of the walls.

 _"What'd you think of that, Nathaniel?"_ Evillustrator asked. _"Have my power, and you'll be a star!"_

"Yeah, it feels amazing to have done that. I've never felt so awesome." Nathaniel admitted.

 _"Okay, Nathaniel. Here's the thing: the Love Angels are nearby, and I need you to help me track them down."_ Evillustrator stated.

"Huh? What are you talking about, the Love Angels?" Nathaniel questioned.

 _"Don't worry, you'll learn in time,"_ Evillustrator began before loosing a yawn. The scene changed to inside, where Evillustrator was sitting. _"Your body's pretty comfy, Nathaniel. You know, maybe I'll settle down and take a nap."_

"Huh?! Wait, you can't sleep now! Wake up!" Nathaniel stated in a panic.

But all he heard was snoring from inside.

He sweat dropped and face-palmed, saying, "Damn. He's napping."

"Hey Nathaniel!" A voice spoke from behind.

He screamed, then turned around to see Marinette. He said, "Oh, Marinette."

"Sorry to startle you," Marinette began. "But I heard through the grapevine that you did an amazing stunt on the horizontal bar!"

"Oh, yeah... I did." Nathaniel said.

"I'd like to see it, if you don't mind." Marinette said enthusiastically.

He smiled and said, "Okay! I'd love to show you."

They ran back to the gym yard, and Nathaniel jumped and grabbed the bar. He started swinging his legs, but instead of flipping, he wound up slipping. He landed on his back, hitting his head, and he got dizzy from the pain.

"Nathaniel!" Marinette shouted, running over to him and helping him sit up. "Are you okay?!"

Nathaniel's dizziness dissipated before shaking his head to clear it up. He looked at Marinette.

"Hold still, Nathaniel," Marinette said, a kind smile on her face. "Are you hurt anywhere?"

"M...Marinette...?" Nathaniel said questioningly, blushing.

That afternoon, Marinette was walking home with the girls, and they were talking about the latest Nathaniel-related gossip.

"Nathaniel did a big flip on the horizontal bar?" Alya asked, enthusiastically. "This is a big scoop!"

"Are you sure?" Chloé asked. "This is Nathaniel we're talking about. Whoever heard of him doing anything _that_ crazy?"

"Yeah, you're right. I asked him to show me, but he ended up falling from the bar and he wound up hitting his back. Poor guy." Marinette added.

"Interesting." Alya said as she started taking out her phone and writing up the details.

"Maybe his hands just got sweaty from the heat or something?" Marinette questioned.

"Who knows?" Chloé asked. "But that's the most likely thing that happened."

"Yeah, this is Nathaniel we're talking about," Marinette agreed. "This is a little strange for him."

"Stranger than fighting a winged man who can spread hatred with his arrows?" Alya asked humorously.

"Good point." Chloé began...

 _*Grumble*_

"Huh? What was that?" Marinette questioned.

 _*Grumble*_

"There it is again." Alya asked.

 _*Grumble*_

Alya and Marinette looked at Chloé, who was holding on to her stomach.

"Hungry, Chloé?" Marinette asked with a giggle.

"Yeah," Chloé admitted. "Let's get to the hotel and get something to eat!"

"Chloé, have you ever had a home-cooked meal before?" Alya asked.

"No, but...?" Chloé began.

"Have you always eaten the hotel food?" Marinette questioned.

"Yes." Chloé asked.

"Well, one day you won't have that luxury," Alya stated. "Do you know how to cook?"

"Ugh, no! That's what people like your mom are for, Alya." Chloé scoffed.

"We can teach you how to cook if you'd like," Marinette offered. "It wouldn't hurt to learn."

"...Maybe not." Chloé conceded.

"We'll split up, gather some ingredients for different courses, and meet up at my place?" Alya suggested.

"Great idea!" Marinette agreed.

The girls all started laughing, delighted at their plans.

But hiding behind another building nearby was Nathaniel. He was watching the girls from a distance. Or more accurately, he was watching Marinette.

He sighed, red in the face, before quietly saying, "Sweet Marinette..."

 _"Oh, what's this? You like her?"_ Evillustrator said from inside.

"Oh, no, no! You really don't understand it at all!" Nathaniel protested, red in the face.

He started glowing bright blue as the Evillustrator said, _"If you like her, just give her an unbridled kiss. Girls can't resist when a man kisses them."_

"Whoa, a kiss?!" Nathaniel asked, his face redder than before.

 _"Kiss her."_ Evillustrator repeated, his eyes glowing red. Nathaniel's eyes were glowing too, and a wicked smile slowly crept up onto his lips...

Marinette was walking down the street with a reusable shopping bag in her hand, saying, "This is going to be so fun."

Nathaniel was trying to keep pace with her. He was hiding behind another lamp post, and he started jogging after Marinette.

"Here you go!" A merchant said as she handed another parcel over to Marinette. "I threw in some extra white chocolate in there for free. Your father's a good customer of mine."

"Thank you! I'll come again if I need it!" Marinette said before putting the parcel in her bag before running off.

Nathaniel was hiding behind another lamp post, and then he started running after Marinette again.

Tikki and Nooroo peeked their heads out and noticed Nathaniel.

"Psst! Marinette!" Tikki whispered.

"What's the matter?" Marinette asked.

"Look!" Nooroo said, subtly pointed out Nathaniel.

 _'Nathaniel? What could he want?'_ Marinette thought.

"Turn this corner!" Nooroo whispered.

Marinette took Nooroo's advice and then ran around the next corner. Nathaniel, seeing this, followed Marinette.

Instead of leaving herself open, she ducked around the next bend.

Like her gut told her, Nathaniel came around, but he lost sight of her and started looking around.

"Where'd Marinette go?" Nathaniel asked aloud.

Marinette came out from hiding, surprising Nathaniel.

"...Did you need something from me, Nathaniel?" Marinette asked.

"Um, nothing..." Nathaniel stated.

"Are you sure? You've been following me for a bit, right?" Marinette questioned.

"Um, what do you mean?" Nathaniel said, blushing and playing dumb.

"Okay, then. I guess I was off." Marinette apologized, but she was still a little suspicious.

The Evillustrator's voice echoed in Nathaniel's mind.

 _"If you like her, just give her an unbridled kiss. Girls can't resist when a man kisses them."_

Nathaniel started approaching Marinette. Seeing his confident swagger, Marinette started backing up a bit.

Nathaniel stopped for a second, his eyes flashed red, and then he pounced, shouting, _"JE'TAIME!"_

Marinette screamed, then took her bundle of groceries and whacked Nathaniel under the chin with it, sending the groceries flying. She was screaming, _"STOP MESSING AROUND! STOP IT!"_

Nathaniel stumbled back, the underside of his chin red from the impact.

"Oh no! My truffles..." Marinette moaned, realizing that some of the groceries were on the ground. Luckily nothing was opened, but some of the packages were still dented.

Nathaniel snatched Marinette by the shoulders and pushed her up against the tree. Looking at her with enamored eyes, he began, "Oh Marinette. Dear Marinette, I've fallen in love with you. I love you so much it's _painful_ , Marinette..."

He started leaning in for a kiss. Marinette turned her face away, an open eye and shouted, "Stop, Nathaniel! Cut it out, Nathaniel!"

She pushed Nathaniel's puckered face away from her, but he tried pushing through and saying, "M-Marinette!"

"Stay away from me!" Marinette shouted as she kept pushing him away.

Seeing his lips impeaching on her space, Marinette was thoroughly grossed out. But Nathaniel wasn't listening to her pleas for him to cease.

"NO! I said don't!" Marinette pleaded, still trying to push Nathaniel's face away from her. "I mean it! Stop!"

The young artist felt a large hand on his shoulder. He turned around, only to be thrown onto the ground a fair distance away.

"This prank of yours ends now!" A stern voice said, and Nathaniel looked up to see Adrien glaring down at him. His bodyguard was there, too.

Intimidated by the larger man, Nathaniel got up and ran off.

Marinette, exhausted from the experience, started slumping down, pitching backward.

"Mariboo!" Adrien shouted as he caught Marinette in his arms.

The two of them locked eyes for a few seconds. They blushed before making distance and looking away from each other. The bodyguard was hiding a very faint smile.

"So what was that all about?" Adrien asked. "Nathaniel, huh?"

The two of them were sitting in the back seat of the car. He asked his bodyguard to drive Marinette home.

"He's always been the type to sketch, just a quiet kind of guy. Never struck me as the type to be so bold," Adrien said. "I can't imagine why he'd try and force himself on a girl like that. What about you?"

"I know what you're talking about. He just started acting wacky out of nowhere." Marinette agreed.

"Did you upset him or something? Maybe insult him?" Adrien questioned.

The image unfolded. Nathaniel was on the ground, sobbing a bit as Marinette was barking and yelling at him over his prize-winning comic strip.

"Beg your pardon?" Marinette asked.

"Well, maybe you said something to upset him, and he tried to get back at you by scaring you?" Adrien suggested, a playful smile on his face.

"Nice try, Adrien, but that's not funny. And that isn't what happened at all!" Marinette insisted.

"Then did _he_ insult _you?_ " Adrien inquired.

This time his imagination conjured up Nathaniel laughing at Marinette's fashion choice, which only had a third place ribbon. She was crying, too.

"Sorry, but he didn't insult me, either," Marinette confirmed. "In fact, we both gave each other props for our success in the art contest."

The imagination sequence followed the events of the art contest.

 _"Hey Marinette," Nathaniel said as he approached. "Congrats on first prize in fashion."_

 _"Thanks, Nathaniel," Marinette said as she held out her hand to shake. "And nice job taking first in drawing."_

 _"Thank you." Nathaniel replied while returning her handshake._

"Really?" Adrien questioned. "Then maybe you might've given him the wrong signals, and thought you were tempting him with some feminine wiles?"

Once again, his imagination started up and Marinette was getting close to Nathaniel, who was blushing and trying to hold back a smile.

"Me?! Tempt him?!" Marinette asked, affronted. _"WE BOTH KNOW **CHLOÉ'S** MORE LIKELY TO TRY SOMETHING LIKE THAT, YOU PRICK!"_

"Yeah, you're right. That's not you," Adrien began, realizing Marinette was right. "Besides, it doesn't matter how much you try to act like a woman, Mariboo... I don't see you being sexy or anything like that."

The car pulled up to the bakery as Marinette groaned.

"Can't you get your mind out of the gutter, Adrien Agreste?!" Marinette ranted. "Excuse me for not being "sexy or anything like that!""

She got out of the car with her groceries, turned around to Adrien and shouted, _"I HATE YOU!"_

She shut the car door and left.

Adrien chuckled a little bit as the gorilla kept driving off to his house. He looked out the window and watched the scenery going by, his face growing stern.

"But that doesn't change the fact that Nathaniel was acting _very_ weird." Adrien said seriously.

Once the car was out of sight, Marinette sighed and said, "Why is it that every time the two of us start talking, it goes from civil conversation to a shouting match?"

"I think you need to be more honest with yourself, Lady Marinette." Nooroo said as he came out of hiding. Tikki, too.

"Nooroo may have a point." Tikki added with a giggle.

"Don't give me that, you two..." Marinette said with a roll of her eyes.

Marinette dropped her chocolate and then she crouched down to pick it up.

"You okay?" Tikki asked.

"I'm just wondering who I'm cooking for." Marinette sighed.

At the Césaire apartment, Alya and Chloé were in the kitchen. Or more accurately, Alya was helping Chloé out, teaching her some cooking skills. Alya was chopping some carrots, meanwhile Chloé was watching and trying to learn a few new things.

"I wonder what's keeping Duchess Marinette?" Pollen asked.

"No idea," Trixx stated. "She's been known to be late, but not like this."

"Maybe something came up on her end?" Alya asked.

"Who knows?" Chloé said as she took up one of the items Alya made - a few choquettes, before placing them in a bag. She then made for the apartment door.

"Hey, where are you going?" Alya asked.

"I'm going to go out to find Marinette," Chloé said. "Come on, Pollen."

Pollen flew into Chloé's pocket as she left the apartment.

"Well, hurry up and get her here, okay? But if it's akuma trouble, let me know!" Alya shouted out.

"Got it!" Chloé spoke back.

She started walking down the street, her kwami in her pocket, sighing from annoyance.

"I couldn't tell her the truth." Chloé said, feeling a little guilty while carrying the treats. Pollen peeked out.

Chloé remembered what she did to Nathaniel earlier that day.

"You didn't inform Duchess Alya of your true feelings, my queen." Pollen said.

"I know," Chloé said with a sigh. "But... I make myself so angry sometimes. The way he was insulting me..."

"What would Duchesses Alya and Marinette do in a situation like that, my queen?" Pollen asked.

"...Apologize to him," Chloé admitted. "It _would_ be what Marinette and Alya would do."

She looked at the package of treats, her love waves gently radiating off it.

"Nathaniel!" Evillustrator said from inside Nathaniel's body. The redheaded boy was in his room at his house, sketching. "I'm feeling the love waves! Strong enough to wake me up from a nap."

Nathaniel groaned in pain as he Evillustrator came out of his body.

"A love wave this strong can only belong to a Love Angel," Evillustrator said as he took out his tablet and started sketching something out. "I summon _Rampo!_ "

Out of his tablet came a woman taller than Nathaniel. He shouted and jumped back, looking at the woman who was towering over him. She had spiky orange hair, pale blue skin and wearing a green dress.

"Rampo, there's a Love Angel nearby. Track her down." Evillustrator said.

"Got it!" She said before zapping out of the house in a bolt of lightning.

Chloé was still walking around, only to notice something strange.

Up in the sky were swirling black clouds over the dark sky.

"What...?" Chloé began.

Nearby, Marinette was dashing her way over to Alya's.

"Chloé and Alya are waiting, Marinette! Come on!" Nooroo shouted.

"I know!" Marinette shouted.

She stopped when she saw lightning flashing from the sky.

Rampo zapped down in front of Chloé, and she looked at the bag of choquettes in her hand.

"Hm... A strong love wave. You must be one of the Love Angels, right?!" Rampo demanded. Chloé stepped back.

 _"Show me who you really are!"_ Rampo shouted as she shot a blast of lightning at Chloé. It hit her square in the chest, causing her to be blasted back. The Choquette bag was burnt to a crisp and Chloé landed on her back and hitting her head.

Marinette ran up to the scene. Nooroo and Tikki came out, too.

"It's an akuma! Not good!" Nooroo said.

 _"Lucky Wedding Flower!"_ Marinette shouted, transforming.

"I said, show me who you really are!" Rampo repeated, conjuring up a lightning string. She then snapped it at Chloé, binding her by the neck, causing her to choke.

"W... What do you mean?!" Chloé asked.

Rampo didn't respond, only firing an electric shock through the string and onto Chloé. She screamed in pain.

"Hold it!" Ladybug shouted as she confronted Rampo.

"So, looks like you're one of the Love Angels. Let me start with _you!_ " Rampo shouted as she fired a lightning shot at Ladybug. She used her yo-yo, latching on to a lamp post and shooting herself up.

"Get back here!" Rampo shouted before leaping up after her.

Ladybug saw how high her opponent got above her, and Rampo fired another lightning ball at Ladybug. She was directly hit, causing her to fall head-first onto a nearby roof.

"Ladybug!" Nooroo shouted.

Ladybug landed on her back on the roof, with her opponent landing in front of her.

"Hand over the Miraculous Something Four!" Rampo shouted as she prepared another lightning ball to shoot.

Ladybug stared her down.

 _"Venom Spin!"_ Queen Bee shouted as she fired her top at Rampo. But Rampo dodged and jumped onto the higher portion of the roof.

"Who are you?!" Rampo demanded.

"Angel Queen Bee!" Queen Bee introduced herself.

 _"Bridal Change go! Wedding Dress Transform! Angel Creation Ladybug!"_ Ladybug shouted as she transformed, changing her wedding dress into her suit.

Rampo made to attack Queen Bee, but Ladybug jumped up from behind.

Ladybug activated the Miraculous Something Old, then took the Lady's Crystal into her hand.

 _"Lady's Crystal!"_ Ladybug called out, causing it to glow. "I'll spread the rose petals to spread true love!"

"And I'll turn you into ashes!" Rampo shouted before firing more lightning at Ladybug.

Queen Bee activated her Miraculous Something Blue, then grabbed her baton.

 _"Bride's Bashfulness!"_ Queen Bee shouted as she spun the baton. _"Marriage Announcement - Honey Star Shower!"_

She started bathing Rampo with bee-shaped lights, shooting Rampo down to the rooftop again.

The girls landed on the rooftop, and Ladybug said, "Thanks, Queen Bee!"

Rampo tried to fire lightning again, but Ladybug absorbed the energy into her crystal. The gem started flashing red and the wings fluttered.

 _"Engagement Present! Lady's Crystal, L'amour Pour Vous!"_ Ladybug shouted before blasting her love waves.

Rampo was hit directly, her face became peppy and happy. She then smiled and giggled, _"Love is everything!"_

She flew into the sky in sparkles, and the skies cleared up.

Nearby, Evillustrator had brought Nathaniel to the scene to witness everything.

"W... What the hell?!" Nathaniel asked.

"That was the Love Angels." Evillustrator began.

"What? The Love Angels?" Nathaniel asked again.

"There's one more of those pesky angels, and it's up to you, Nathaniel Kurtzberg, to find out who they truly are." Evillustrator explained.

"Wait, I can't! Or rather, I won't do it!" Nathaniel protested.

But Evillustrator flew back into Nathaniel's body, causing him great pain. Blue light was radiating from him, and Nathaniel was groaning and moaning in a lot of pain.

 _"Open up your heart to hatred and resentment!"_ Evillustrator chanted.

"WILL YOU _PLEASE_ GET OUT OF MY BODY?!" Nathaniel screamed.

 _"No way, it's too comfy in here!"_ Evillustrator protested.

 _"NO! PLEASE, PLEASE, GET OUT OF ME!"_ Nathaniel pleaded. Tears flew off his face.

But soon, his body adjusted. His shadow changed into the shape of the Evillustrator's silhouette, and Evillustrator said from inside, _"I hope you'll cooperate and lend me your body. Otherwise, the consequences are going to be most dire!"_

He started laughing maniacally, happy for his new triumph. Poor Nathaniel's face twisted into tired fear...

Back at the Césaire apartment...

"I _thought_ I told you to get in touch with me if there was akuma trouble, Chloé!" Alya scolded.

The girls were all sitting in the apartment, eating some of the food that Alya had cooked up.

"Hey, don't blame me for being the one that akuma targeted!" Chloé defended.

"She's right, Alya. And I couldn't get in touch, either. It all happened so fast," Marinette apologized as she continued eating some of the chicken paella that Alya made. They made the kwamis a plate and were eating some of the food, too. "And don't these incidents happen quickly as it is?"

"No argument there," Alya sighed, resigned. "...Hey Marinette, whatever happened to dessert? Weren't you going to bring over the materials to teach Chloé how to make truffles?"

"Um..." Marinette began, not sure what to say.

Basically, she made truffles for Adrien to thank him for saving her from Nathaniel... But as if she'd tell the girls _that!_

"Well, let's just say some crazy shit hit the fan before I got back home today." Marinette said.

"What _kind_ of shit?" Chloé asked as she ate a bite of chicken.

"I'd rather not talk about it..." Marinette said, not sure what else to say. "But Alya, this is some good paella! Learn from your mom?"

Alya, realizing she wasn't going to get answers out of Marinette, said, "Sure did. I was teaching Chloé how to do it, but then she went to go find you, then..."

"Yeah, I know, I shouldn't have walked out on our cooking lesson," Chloé snarked. "But hey, you can't blame me for getting caught up in akuma trouble."

"No, I can't." Alya said.

Trixx swallowed some of the rice before saying, "Nice work, Alya! This is delicious!"

"Really?" Alya asked.

"It's delicious, Duchess Alya!" Pollen agreed.

"Yeah, this is some tasty paella!" Tikki added, with Nooroo diving in for more food.

"Instead of worrying about the battle, why don't we destress and eat our dinner?" Marinette suggested.

"Great idea!" Tikki agreed.

"I'm in!" Trixx added.

"Let's keep eating!" Nooroo declared as he chowed down on more of the rice and vegetables in the dish.

"Save some for us, Nooroo!" Pollen protested.

The girls and kwamis all laughed as they kept eating the meal.

* * *

 **Okay, now we have a new akuma on the loose, _and_ we have an unwitting pawn in the akumas' scheme in Nathaniel! Speaking of whom, even after Evillustrator's arc if finished, Nathaniel will still have a bit of a part to play. NO, not as a love interest for Chloé. **

**Coming up, the school's putting on the cultural festival and every club and organization is getting involved to set it up. And there's going to be a huge dance party to boot! Only thing is, Nathaniel's gone through a drastic change in personality and skill set and starts using his newfound confidence to try and get Marinette to be his date, much to her discomfort. Doesn't he understand that when a woman says "no," that's not an invitation to keep pestering her about it?**

 **So this time, how about a sneak peek at episode 40?**

 **In the girls' club room...**

 _ **"This is CRAZY!"**_ **Marinette screamed. She called a meeting with her friends to talk about D'Argencourt's announcement. "It doesn't matter if we're male, female, or whatever, we all have the right to interact with each other!"**

 **"Kwamis have been around since the dawn of the universe, and this is totally new. I've heard of girls-only or boys-only schools, but not something like this." Tikki added.**

 **"At least the LGBTQ+ students weren't factored into this new rule. He didn't even _think_ about them. I just hope no one brings it up to him, either." Alya commented. **

**"It's stupid!" Chloé agreed. "I don't know where he came up with that garbage, but it's _ridiculous! Utterly ridiculous!"_**

 **"Chloé, I can't believe I'm saying this, but _PLEASE_ tell your dad about this and get him to get D'Argencourt fired _and_ blackballed from teaching anywhere else!" Marinette begged. **

**"Now you're speaking my language. If he thinks he can cross the mayor's daughter, then he's got another thing coming." Chloé spoke, a wicked smile on her face. She stood up and took her phone out.**

 **"But won't D'Argencourt ignore him like last time?" Trixx asked.**

 **"Probably." Nooroo added.**

 **"I'll try and get daddy to do something." Chloé assured.**

 **"In the meantime, let's officially protest this as the Fashion Club!" Alya stated.**

 **"Agreed, Duchess Alya!" Pollen added.**


	24. The School Festival Excitement!

**Okay, time for our next episode of Wedding Ladybug! Today, the school's putting on the festival and everyone's getting excited for it. There's going to be a big dance party, and Marinette intends on asking handsome guitarist Luka Couffaine to go with her!**

 **But war waits for nothing. Nathaniel, still trying to overcome his own timidness, ends up making a very _BONEHEAD_ move when the Evillustrator empathizes with him. With newfound confidence, he tries pushing Marinette into being his date to the dance while showcasing new skills and talents.**

* * *

In the girls' club room, Chloé and Alya were working on a building project. They had wood, nails, screws, drills, etc. The kwamis were reading the instruction book and helping pass the girls the supplies they needed.

"Chloé, we've only got two days until the François-Dupont campus festival, so don't slack! Put your back into it!" Alya barked.

"Hey, don't shout orders at me!" Chloé shot back as she was anxiously looking at the wood while holding nails and a hammer in her hands. "I don't wanna ruin my nails!"

"Listen, Chloé, I understand your grooming is important to you, but so is this festival! It's only once a year, so we need to bust our asses and do a damn good job!" Alya stated.

"You're right." Chloé said, sighing in annoyance.

"It's going to be awesome, Alya!" Trixx said. "Once the festival starts, it's going to be a huge party!"

"The merrymaking and celebrations will be most delightful!" Pollen agreed. "How exciting!"

"But remember, we need to stay hidden." Nooroo reminded.

The door opened and Marinette came in with a bundle of fabric. Tikki came out of hiding before joining the other kwamis out of the direct line of sight of the door. She announced, "I'm finished!"

She unraveled the bundle and revealed the banner for their stand. It was a pale pink background with a few macarons in different colors. In darker pink, almost red, the banner read "Sweets in Style," and there were chibi versions of the trio underneath the text. They each holding a dessert. Marinette had a pink macaron, Alya had an orange cupcake, and Chloé was holding a golden yellow blondie.

She also had three aprons in pale pink with the same lettering and text.

"Marinette, those are _BADASS!_ " Alya declared.

"Thanks, I worked pretty hard on these." Marinette thanked before laughing.

The girls were unaware that they were being watched. Nathaniel was looking through the opened door, looking directly at Marinette.

He sighed wistfully, then muttered, "Sweet Marinette..."

Alya noticed Nathaniel looking into the room, so she opened the door, scaring him. She smiled and said, "What's up?"

"Oh, um, nothing..." Nathaniel said before straightening up and walking away from the door.

The rest of the girls came out to the hallway and Alya asked, "What are you planning on doing to help out at the festival? I know your artistic talents will be put to use."

"Y-Yeah... They will be." Nathaniel quietly said before walking away, his head down.

Later in the huge gym, the girls were helping decorate for the dance that was going to be part of the festival. Several other students were carrying decorations and heavier items, too.

"Imagine how it's going to look when it's fully decorated at the evening dance!" Marinette exclaimed as she and the girls were helping with the lighting.

"The evening dance is always the best part!" Alya added. "Who doesn't love a party?"

"Anyone who's anyone would love a party. And if they don't, the joke's on them. They're not the ones enjoying themselves." Chloé added.

"So, who's going to be dancing with whom?" Marinette asked.

"I'm fine flying solo. I'd ask Nino for a friend-date, but he's on the list for music tonight as a DJ. You, Chloé?" Alya asked.

"With the obvious exception of you two, there's no one here worth looking at for me to ask." Chloé stated.

"What about you, Marinette?" Alya asked.

Marinette blushed with a shy smile, and said, "Well... I _do_ have someone in mind."

"Really?! Spill!" Alya said. "Is it Adrien?"

Marinette pulled a disgusted scowl and said, "Ew, no way! Me and Adrien? When pigs fly."

"Then who?" Chloé asked.

Marinette's face turned back to a blush and shy smile and her eyes wandered over to the stage. She looked at the person sitting on the stage - a young man about a year or so older than the girls, with dark hair dyed blue, matching blue eyes, wearing mostly dark clothing, and playing a guitar.

He saw Marinette looking at him, and gave her a two-finger salute for a wave while giving her a smile and a wink. Marinette waved back, her blush going deeper.

The girls looked at the exchange and with a smile, Alya said, "Damn, girl. Luka, huh?"

Marinette gave a nod and said, "Yep. Luka Couffaine."

"I can see why. He's a looker, but the way he dresses..." Chloé said, but shuddered at his fashion choices.

"Oh, quiet, Chloé," Marinette said defensively. "Luka's such a gentleman. I can feel at ease with him around and I just feel so... Happy."

"But when did you notice him, exactly?" Chloé asked.

"We hit it off when I bumped into him in the hallway one day a little while ago. I think it was some time after Dark Cupid was taken care of." Marinette explained, her eyes still glued to Luka.

But loud clapping snapped the girls out of the conversation. They looked to the entry hall to see the executive committee and its head, Rose Lavillant, Juleka's girlfriend and the singer for Kitty Section (Luka's band).

"Alright everyone! Great job!" Rose said.

"Hi, Rose!" Marinette said as she approached.

"Hey girls! Working hard at it?" Rose asked. "Gotta check, being head of the executive committee."

"It's gotta be a lot of work." Alya asked.

"It's fine. I just know how to make things fun," Rose said before running over to some of the others. "Hey, do you think you could put some of the banners up here on the backboard of the basketball hoops, please? Oh, and if you guys could add a bit of purple glitter here, I think it'd be great. Though I think Marinette might have a good idea of what to do..."

"She's got enthusiasm, I'll give her that much." Chloé said.

"Yeah, and she's definitely taking this seriously. I wouldn't want anyone else to be head of the executive committee." Alya praised.

* * *

That evening, Nathaniel slammed his hand on his desk and shouted, "This ends _now_ , understand? This is _my_ body, so _get out!_ "

Groaning in pain, the young man moaned as a stream of black energy came out of him, and the Evillustrator emerged behind him.

"I don't like it when you talk to me like that," The Evillustrator stated, his tone offended and his face sad. "Do you have to be so mean?"

"You need to make like a banana and split! I can't take it anymore!" Nathaniel spoke, pointing out the window.

"That's what _you_ say, but your body isn't saying the same thing. Your body's pretty comfortable, and that's rare." Evillustrator commented.

"But why mine?" Nathaniel asked.

"Your introverted nature, your shyness, it just makes you a nice amount of twisted." Evillustrator explained.

"Hey, I'm not twisted!" Nathaniel denied, turning his face away.

"Then why didn't you speak up about wanting to be part of the festival in more than just the artistic portion?" Evillustrator asked, genuine concern in his voice. "You want to do your part in more ways than just that, right?"

Nathaniel paused before looking back at his akuma companion.

"Listen, hasn't it occurred to you that I might know _just_ how you're feeling?" Evillustrator inquired before coming closer, placing a hand on his shoulder. "I wonder... Would you like to sign a contract?"

"Contract?" Nathaniel asked.

"You know... _A contract with the akumas?"_ Evillustrator elaborated casually.

Thunder and lightning flashed outside.

"Um... Could you explain?" Nathaniel asked.

"You and I are a lot alike. We're both artists. But your peers have you beat in some things. There's sports to start with. STEM concepts, writing, music. At the end of the day, you're not good at everything," Evillustrator began, leaning in closer to talk to him. "And a lot of people aren't going to hesitate to mock you about it, either."

Nathaniel didn't deny a thing that the Evillustrator was saying.

"If you have any desires for the future, I can only think of one thing: you want payback. To make them feel the way they made you." Evillustrator stated.

Nathaniel broke into a bit of a cold sweat, his eyes wide and his teeth about to start chattering.

"If you sign a contract with me, then you get the whole package." Evillustrator said as stepped away. He started drawing things out on his tablet and materializing them.

Gold medals for Olympic sporting events, prizes for work in several STEM fields, ribbons for his artwork, including drawing, painting, acting, and even in music. Literature prizes, medals for cooking competitions, articles in newspapers about his work, _everything_. They all swirled around Nathaniel, tempting him.

"You won't just be an athlete, but you'll be the DaVinci of modern times! You'll be your generation's Einstein, Newton, or even Mendel. Even Gordon Ramsay may be asking you to work for him. You'll be a master of _everything_." Evillustrator continued as he continued drawing up so many scenarios.

Nathaniel swallowed a _huge_ lump in his throat. His Adam's Apple bobbed visibly.

"And the best part is that those who pick on you today will be groveling for forgiveness in the future," Evillustrator added. "You'll hit the mark at everything you try."

Nathaniel smiled at the thought.

"Isn't this the best deal you've ever heard in your life?" Evillustrator questioned.

Nathaniel nodded and he said, "That... That'd be _miraculous_."

"Wouldn't it be, though?" Evillustrator chuckled. "And all you need to do is sell your soul to the akumas!"

Thunder and lightning crashed again.

Evillustrator used his tablet and pen to conjure up a blue light orb.

Nathaniel put his hand on it, causing it to expand on contact, sucking his hand in. Nathaniel screamed and started pulling his hand out. When the light faded, Nathaniel saw a worm-like creature with an eye on it. It then flashed red before forming into a seemingly-normal thumb ring.

"And the contract is signed." Evillustrator said with a smile.

The next morning, several students were working on the sign for the entrance for the festival.

Nathaniel approached and kindly said, "That doesn't look very good."

"Hey!" One of the students protested.

"I can't let this slide. It's totally lacking in artistic sense." Nathaniel commented, a smirk growing on his face.

"Well, let's see _you_ do better!" The same student snapped.

"Okay." Nathaniel said as he took up a giant paintbrush, a few construction tools, and got to work.

As if he were moving at warp-speed, Nathaniel started sawing through wood, hammering nails in, painting the wood, etc., etc.. And everyone was watching in awe, shocked at Nathaniel's new skill-set.

The girls approached just as Nathaniel finished up.

 _"Et viola!"_ Nathaniel said as he put the paintbrush down. "What do you think?"

The sign was now made of wood, but it was made of many different-colored, geometric prisms and shapes that were put together, where all the pointed parts were jutting out in different directions while some fit together like a puzzle.

Everyone was gasping and making sounds at Nathaniel's artwork.

"Amazing!" Someone shouted out.

The girls were looking at the display, both in awe and in confusion.

"Has Nathaniel been holding out on us with these talents his whole life?" Alya asked, eager to get more details.

Rose and the rest of the executive committee approached and asked, "Oh _wow!_ Who created this?! It's amazing!"

"It was Nathaniel!" Another student pointed out.

Nathaniel smiled his usual smile, but it hid some smugness behind it.

"Nathaniel, as head of the executive committee, I'd like to tell you that I'm _very happy_ with this sign for the festival!" Rose added.

"Don't worry about it," Nathaniel said. "If my talents can help out, then I'll be at your service."

"What's up with Nathaniel?" Another student questioned.

 _'I'm not the same Nathaniel Kurtzberg I was last night.'_ Nathaniel thought, his smugness beginning to show on his face.

 _'You're right about that. You're not the same guy.'_ The Evillustrator said from inside, proud of him. His figure could be seen by Nathaniel, but not anyone else.

"Hey Nathaniel, will you help me out and redecorate the gym for the dance party?" Rose requested.

"No problem." Nathaniel said.

His thumb ring sparkled. He turned around to the girls with a smile, then suddenly jumped up onto the sign with a huge back flip.

"What on Earth?!" Marinette asked.

"He's like a completely different person. Not like the shy, quiet guy we know." Alya commented.

He jumped off the sign, and landed on both feet, directly in front of Marinette.

He leaned into her space and asked, "I wanted to ask you, Marinette. Would you be my date for the dance party tonight?"

"Listen, Nathaniel, I'm flattered, but-" Marinette began.

"You will? That's great!" Nathaniel said.

"No, Nathaniel, please, I-" Marinette continued, but...

"Hey, you're being totally one-sided about this, Nathaniel!" Chloé barked.

"I don't take orders from blonde witches," Nathaniel sternly said to Chloé. "I'm asking _Marinette_ , not you."

Chloé balked, with Alya looking on in concern.

"Nathaniel, hurry up! The dance hall isn't going to wait for anyone!" Rose gleefully sang.

"Coming!" Nathaniel said before turning back to Marinette. "You'll think about it, right, Marinette?"

He then ran off.

Marinette face-palmed.

The following day, the festival was fully under way. There were stands all over campus that had food, games, and all kinds of activities. One attraction was a human Whack-A-Mole game, with some of the students playing the moles while they had rubber balloon mallets for hitting the moles on the head. There was also a matching game using a standard deck of cards, but the cards were about the size of the students themselves and they had to really use all their strength to lift and turn around the cards.

Outside in the yard, the girls had set up their dessert stand. They had macarons, cookies, cupcakes, brownies, etc. They all worked together on the desserts and Tom pitched in a helping hand here and there, too. Marinette was in charge of the decorating while the rest of the production was taught to the girls. They were all the aprons Marinette made.

"Alright, three chocolate cupcakes, six strawberry macarons, and two blondies!" Alya said as she rang up their customer while Chloé boxed up the treats.

Marinette put a "Sweets in Style" sticker onto the box and handed it to the customer, saying, "Here you go!"

"Thank you!" She said before walking away.

Then someone else came up to the stand. He said, "Hey Marinette."

Her eyes looked up to meet those of Luka.

"Luka! Hi!" Marinette said, blushing a little bit.

"This stand looks great. Selling desserts, huh?" Luka asked.

"Sure are," Alya said before looking at Marinette briefly. "What can we get you?"

"I'll take four cupcakes for the band." Luka said as he took out some cash to pay for the treats. Alya boxed up the desserts and handed it over to Marinette to give to him.

"So... Have you asked anyone to the dance?" Alya asked as Marinette handed the box over to Luka.

"Not yet, but... I _do_ want to ask someone." Luka said, before making eye contact with Marinette.

Marinette blushed as she came out from behind the stand.

"Okay, then..." Marinette began as she was about to ask.

"Hey Marinette, have you made your choice yet?" Nathaniel said as he ran up and got into Marinette's space.

Marinette turned to Nathaniel, who was eagerly looking at her. He repeated, "We're going to the dance together, right?"

"No, Nathaniel," Marinette said, shaking her head. "Listen, I..."

"What do you mean "no," Marinette? You're going with someone else?" Nathaniel asked.

"Not quite. I was about to ask, but..." Marinette began, trying her best to be nice about saying, "I'm not going with you, Nathaniel, because I was just going to ask Luka here."

"Then that means we're good to go, right?" Nathaniel insisted.

"Nathaniel, I'm trying to say "no," please." Marinette continued.

"Stop it, Nathaniel," Luka said, stepping in. "You're making Marinette uncomfortable. The melody in her heart is filled with discordance, mirroring her discomfort with you. Her answer is "no," so take it."

Ignoring Luka, Nathaniel was instead listening to the Evillustrator, who was telling him from inside, _'That's how it's done, Nathaniel. Keep putting the pressure on her.'_

"Yeah, Marinette?" Nathaniel asked, only for a frustrated and angry Marinette to take off running. He gave chase, shouting, _"Right, Marinette?!"_

 _"WRONG, Nathaniel! Listen to me, my answer is N-O, understand?!"_ Marinette shouted in desperation.

In one of the classrooms, Adrien was working with his fencing team on their strategies for an upcoming tournament.

"Okay, so this team is going to be using this strategy for the tournament, and..."

Marinette threw the door open in fright, shouting, _"Adrien!"_

"What's up, Mariboo?" Adrien asked as she ran behind him to hide.

"He won't leave me alone!" Marinette declared.

Nathaniel came to the door, saying, "Marinette, all I'm asking is for you to be my dance partner tonight."

Adrien looked at Marinette, then asked Nathaniel, " _You_ asked Mariboo to the dance?"

"Your point?" Nathaniel asked, quirking a brow.

"Well... I sort of see it," Adrien said, rubbing his neck. "You're both artistic people..."

Marinette groaned internally.

"Well, Nathaniel, I never thought you'd have the guts to ask out a girl. Great job trying to break out of your shell." Adrien commented, praising him.

"Thanks," Nathaniel said. "I'm not the same guy I was once before."

"Um, Adrien... Don't you have something you want to tell him?" Marinette asked as she gestured to Nathaniel.

"I... I really don't think I should say anything," Adrien said with a shrug, a little uncomfortable at being put on the spot. "Isn't this between the two of you?"

Marinette sighed and said, "You're right, but..."

"We're okay, aren't we, Marinette?" Nathaniel asked, approaching Marinette and getting in her space. "You didn't ask anyone else, right?"

Marinette once again looked to Adrien, who just gave a shrug and said, "Well... No account for taste."

This only ticked Marinette off and said, "Nathaniel, my answer is no! I'll go to the dance, just not with you, and I won't dance with you even once! Understand?"

Marinette ran off again, with Nathaniel chasing after her again.

Adrien chuckled a little bit, but two of his teammates approached.

"Dude," One said. "I know you're not the best at social cues due to your upbringing, but you've watched enough anime to be familiar with this scenario, right?"

"What do you mean?" Adrien asked.

"Don't you think she came in here so you'd come to her rescue?" Another teammate asked.

Adrien's face fell when he realized what his peers were saying.

Nathaniel was still running through the halls, trying to track Marinette down, but as he was looking around...

 _'I understand you like her, but don't waste time chasing after that girl."_ Evillustrator said from inside.

"What? Why?" Nathaniel asked.

 _'Your task is to find the Love Angels.'_ Evillustrator elaborated.

"Ugh, "Love Angels" this, "Love Angels" that... Why are they any of my concern?" Nathaniel sighed, annoyed. He continued walking around to try and find Marinette.

 _'I probably should've told you this beforehand, but that's your end of the bargain. It's in our contract.'_ The Evillustrator casually confessed, causing Nathaniel to stop in his tracks.

"I... It is?" Nathaniel asked.

 _'Yeah,'_ The Evillustrator continued, again, a little embarrassed about his inability to communicate. _'Y_ _ou don't want to breach it, do you?'_

The redheaded human looked at the thumb ring on his hand.

"Nathaniel!" Rose shouted as she ran up to him. "Thank you so much! The decorations in the hall are _bomb!_ "

"I just hope everything's going well..." Nathaniel said shyly.

"It's a smash hit!" Rose said, enthusiastically.

"All thanks to you, Rose!" "Yeah, you've been breaking your back for this festival. It's no wonder it's a hit."

Rose's eyes lit up and she said, "I've put all of my passion and enthusiasm into this festival. The food stands, the games...!"

Her badge as head of the committee started glowing pink, radiating her love waves.

Evillustrator's eyes snapped open and he said, _'I can feel it. The love waves!'_

"Excuse me?" Nathaniel asked.

"Huh?" Rose questioned, tilting her head aside.

"Oh, um, nothing... Gotta go!" Nathaniel said before dashing away.

Nathaniel ran to the stairwell, and looked around to see if anyone was watching.

"Okay, the coast is clear. You can come out." Nathaniel said.

The Evillustrator phased out of Nathaniel's body, much to the redhead's discomfort.

He then took his tablet out and started sketching something up. He said, "Time for those who writhe in darkness to rise. Blackie, I summon you!"

After drawing something on his tablet, a black bat-like creature with huge eyes flew out of the tablet. He was furry and looked pretty cute, but then the creature flew away.

"What the hell was that?" Nathaniel asked.

"Don't worry. He won't _eat_ the Love Angels." The Evillustrator reassured.

Back outside, Alya and Chloé were still working the stand.

"Thank you and come again!" Chloé said as she finished serving one girl.

"This is going great. If Marinette wasn't going to be a fashion designer, she'd be an amazing baker." Alya commented.

"Yep." Chloé agreed.

"Speaking of whom..." Trixx said as she pointed out their friend.

Marinette was carrying an ice cream cone and walking over to the stand.

"Marinette, where've you been?" Alya asked. "Did you shake off Nathaniel?"

"Yeah, I did. And the Cosmetology club was having an ice cream stall, so I got some," Marinette said as she took a bite of her treat. She snuck a bite to Tikki. "It's really good."

"Hey! We've been at this for hours without complaint!" Chloé griped. "What do you think you're doing?! Alya, say something!"

"Why don't we get some ice cream, too?" Alya suggested. "I'm getting hungry."

"Are you serious?" Chloé asked.

"My queen," Pollen said to Chloé. "I'd love to sample the ice cream as well."

"Me too, Lady Chloé." Nooroo added.

"Yeah, the kwamis need to eat, too." Alya confirmed.

"...Okay, let's get ice cream," Chloé said. "Marinette, can you man the stand in the meantime?"

"Sure thing." Marinette said as she sat down and continued eating her ice cream, making sure to give Tikki a few bites.

As she was minding her own business, Adrien was walking up to the stand, a bit cautious. Tikki ducked.

Marinette saw him out of her peripheral vision, then said flatly, "Oh, Adrien."

"Hi, I..." Adrien began, trying to find an excuse to say something. "I wanted to..."

He saw the desserts at the stand.

"I wanted to give the cupcakes you made a try!" Adrien said, putting down some money for the food and picked up a passionfruit cupcake.

"Help yourself." Marinette said quietly.

"Listen, about earlier..." Adrien began, getting Marinette's attention. "I'm sorry that I didn't understand that you needed help."

Marinette just blinked at him.

Red in the face, Adrien continued, "Next time, I'll be sure to... Say something to get him to back off."

"Adrien..." Marinette said, a smile creeping up onto her lips.

He took a bite of the cupcake and then said, "Wow, this is delicious."

He kept eating the treat, but he wound up going too fast and started to choke on one bite. He thumped his chest to help it go down, and he swallowed.

Marinette tried her best not to laugh.

Blackie was still flying around, trying to track the source of the love waves. In one classroom, Rose was having a drink of water with some of the other members of the executive committee.

"Well, the festival is almost over, and so far, it's been a success! Now we'll be guaranteed to be able to do it again next year!" Rose said.

Her pin started radiating with her love waves again.

But Blackie crashed through the glass windows, inciting a scream from the girls.

"What is that thing?!" "A flying stuffed animal?!"

Blackie swarmed himself and then he grew to the size of a ten-foot monster, his features went from furry to more sleek and sharp, and he looked more menacing. He started growling.

Alya and Chloé were still walking through the halls to get back to their stand. They were finished with their ice cream.

"That was delectable." Pollen commented.

"Yeah, it _was_ good." Trixx agreed, with Nooroo nodding.

Then the group heard screaming, and they went to check it out.

In that classroom, Blackie was towering over the unconscious girls.

Chloé and Alya saw the scene, with Alya shouting, "Rose!"

"It's Blackie!" Nooroo stated.

"An akuma, right?" Alya asked.

"Right," Nooroo said, as Blackie roared at them. "I'll go get Lady Marinette!"

Nooroo flew off, leaving the girls and kwamis there.

 _"Cunning Wedding Flower!" "Growing Wedding Flower!"_

 _"Bridal Change Go! Wedding Dress Transform!" "Angel Illusion Rena Rouge!" "Angel Subjection Queen Bee!"_

 _"Go fighting Angels!"_ The pair shouted as they got their weapons out.

Blackie started firing blasts of black energy out of its mouth at the girls. And the girls jumped out of the way, ducking and dodging the blasts as they hit the window, blasted a desk, and knocked over a few books.

And one blast was moving over the floor, dangerously close to slicing Rose's hair off.

The girls landed, and Rena stated, "We'd better take this fight outside."

Queen Bee gave an agreeing nod, and then the two angels broke out of the nearby window and went onto the roof.

Blackie came to confront them on the roof, roaring again. Down on the ground, Nooroo had gotten Marinette, and she and Tikki were on their way, running towards the source.

"Up there!" Nooroo shouted, pointing up to the fight on the roof.

"Rena! Queen Bee! Let's get going, Tikki!" Marinette said.

 _"Lucky Wedding Flower!" "Bridal Change! Wedding Dress Transform! Angel Creation Ladybug!"_

Ladybug then used her yo-yo to get up onto the roof, and then kicked Blackie on the back of the head.

She did a back flip in the air before landing in between the girls.

"You akumas have some balls, attacking us in the middle of the school festival!" Marinette said as she started spinning her yo-yo.

Back in the festival, Nathaniel was eating a crepe filled with spinach and mushrooms while walking around.

Evillustrator woke up and said, _'I think Blackie's found the Love Angels. Go after them!'_

"Can I finish eating..." Nathaniel began to ask, but...

 _'NO! NOW, PLEASE!'_ Evillustrator shouted, instilling a sense of urgency in Nathaniel.

The girls were still jumping, dodging, and blocking Blackie's blasts, but they knew that they had to do something else.

"Queen Bee!" Ladybug shouted, prompting her blonde ally.

Queen Bee got the Miraculous Something Blue out of her earrings, then started spinning the baton.

 _"Bride's Bashfulness!"_ Queen Bee shouted. _"Marriage Announcement - Honey Star Shower!"_

She shot the bee-shaped lights at the monster, stunning him.

"Rena!" Queen Bee shouted back.

Rena Rouge took out her Miraculous Something Borrowed item, and started charging it.

 _"Love's Tribute Candle!"_ Rena Rouge shouted. _"Miraculous Fantasies!"_

Foxtail lights were fired at Blackie, dealing even more damage to him.

"Go for it, Ladybug!" Queen Bee shouted.

The red-spotted girl brought out the Lady's Crystal.

 _"Lady's Crystal!"_ Ladybug called out, activating it and using it to suck in all of Blackie's hateful energy. The crystal started flashing red.

 _"Engagement Present! Lady's Crystal, L'amour Pour Vous!"_ Ladybug shouted as she fired the love waves.

Direct hit. Blackie changed back into his cuter form, and his eyes started sparkling while his smile grew. He then vanished into a flurry of sparkles up into the sky.

Evillustrator's eyes popped open and he told the running Nathaniel, _'Looks like the Love Angels just defeated Blackie.'_

Nathaniel was at the classroom and saw the trio of normal girls on the floor. Rose was unconscious.

 _'I guess she's not one of the Love Angels.'_ Evillustrator added.

Later that evening, the dance was about to get started.

 _"And now, the François-Dupont school festival dance shall now commence!"_ The emcee announced.

Everyone started dancing and moving to the music. Alya and Chloé were off to the side, minding their own business.

Marinette, meanwhile, was looking at the stage, a little sad. She tried to ask Luka for a dance, but he informed her that he and the rest of Kitty Section were asked to fill in a few music spots at the last minute (some of the other music acts had to back out due to injuries).

As for Nathaniel, he was looking around for said designer within the crowd. He smiled and laughed when he caught sight of her. He started making his way over to her, intending on getting a dance with her.

But he was beaten to the punch. Adrien came up to Marinette and snidely said, "Looks like you don't have a partner. I'll dance with you if you want."

He held out his hand.

Marinette sighed and said, "I would've danced with Luka, but he's too busy. So, I guess since _you_ don't have a partner either, I'll dance with you."

Adrien held back an amused laugh as Marinette put her hand into his.

Nathaniel saw this entire thing go down. He hung his head in devastation, dejected.

The music started playing, the lights started flashing, and then everyone in the hall started dancing. The rest of the day went off without a single hitch.

* * *

 **Alright, that's a wrap. Now Nathaniel's an ally to the akumas, not aware of what exactly he's gotten himself into. And if you've been paying attention, the thumb ring Nathaniel is wearing as part of the deal with the Evillustrator is modeled after the Rooster Miraculous. This is because I'm almost _CERTAIN_ Nathaniel's going to get the Rooster Miraculous at some point in the series. Season 5 or later, but I'm thinking that's what's gonna happen. **

**Also, for fellow fans of his (including myself), Luka will have a few other cameo appearances and mentions in this story.**

 **Coming up, the girls have another akuma to face in Zombizou, who's stealing the love waves from everyone through her kisses and disguises. Meanwhile, Nathaniel's getting suspicious that Marinette and Ladybug are one and the same, and so he all but blackmails her into going on a date with him! How's Marinette gonna throw him off the scent?!**

 **Alright, time for another preview. Let's jump ahead to about episode 42, okay? More DJWifi/Renapace moments.**

 **As the boat floated along, it was quiet between Nino and Alya.**

 **"Alya..." Nino began.**

 **"Yeah, Nino?" Alya questioned.**

 **"Alya, I'm sorry for being such a prick, ignoring you the way I was, dude." Nino apologized.**

 **"Nino, don't..." Alya started to argue back, but...**

 **"No, I _have_ been ignoring you, dudette," Nino insisted. "You and the girls have been doing such great, sweet things for me and the others, but..." **

**"Don't worry about it, Nino." Alya continued, laughing a bit.**

 **"I _can't_ not worry about it, Alya," Nino said. "I haven't shown you the appreciation and gratitude you deserve. Not to mention, I've been lying to myself about my own feelings, dude. I hope you can forgive me."**

 **"Nino, stop," Alya began. "You've got a lot on your plate. The akuma realm, the angel realm and all. There's no helping it."**

 **"You're wrong about that," Nino grunted, frustrated. "I'm a pathetic excuse for an angel!"**

 **"Whoa, Carapace, what are you talking about?!" Alya said, getting a bit angry, but she saw Nino's face fall and a tear at the corner of his eye.**

 **"An angel that's scared of his own feelings? How am I supposed to work to save the angel realm?!" Nino griped in frustration. "How can I embody the love waves for only _one_ angel?" **


	25. Akumas' Kisses Are Disgusting!

**Crap, Marinette's gotten herself into some trouble! While trying fighting off new akuma Zombizou, she narrowly escapes getting caught by Nathaniel. Suspicious, he basically forces her into going on a date. How is Marinette going to keep her secret** ** _and_** **her lips from getting smooched against her will?!**

 **Sorry this chapter took so long. Sort of needed a break and was focusing on Lukanette for a while.**

* * *

It was late evening one night, and Nathaniel was in his room. The lamp was on, and he was sketching furiously in one of his books. He had reference books for all kinds of romantic scenarios and had to flirt with/court a girl.

"Okay... 'Marinette Dupain-Cheng,'" Nathaniel began while looking over the strip he drew. It was a picture of Marinette facing him, with her usual smile and pretty eyes. "'I've had eyes for you for a long time. Will you be my girlfriend?'"

He turned the page, and Marinette had a delighted look on her face, her eyes were sparkling and her speech bubble said, "Oh yes, Nathaniel! Truth is, I've felt the same way about you for a while, too!"

Turning the page again, Marinette was puckering up for a kiss.

"Sweet Marinette..." Nathaniel swooned as he raised the book to his lips to try and kiss the image.

 _'Knock it off, Romeo.'_ Evillustrator laughed from inside.

Nathaniel startled and dropped his comic, saying, "Evillustrator!"

Evillustrator came out from inside Nathaniel's body, and he stood in the room.

"Up to no good as usual?" Evillustrator joked.

Nathaniel quickly hid the comic under his bed, then said, "Weren't you still asleep?"

"I'm awake now," Evillustrator stated. "If you want to kiss a girl that badly, I can help. Check this out."

He sketched out a giant TV screen on his tablet and it conjured up in the room. The video feed depicted a man with his back against a tree in the woods, meanwhile he was freaked at the sight of a woman who looked like a zombie doll with her hair in a bun, with pink lips.

"This is my colleague, Zombizou." Evillustrator explained.

Zombizou stared the man down a bit, smiled, and then she shapeshifted into a young woman with long black hair, beautiful green eyes, and wearing a dark blue dress. She gave him a demure smile.

He blushed, dropped his things, and a photograph of this woman fell out of his bag.

The disguised Zombizou approached him, and he was helpless. She placed her hands against his chest. Zombizou then kissed this man on the lips.

"Zombizou sees into the heart of anyone she's near, becomes the person they love, and then she drains them of their love waves." Evillustrator explained.

The man collapsed and he fell unconscious.

"Thank you for your love." She giggled.

"With the help of Zombizou, any woman in love is yours," Evillustator offered. "What do you think?"

"I... Don't find that ethical. I want Marinette to fall for me willingly." Nathaniel explained.

"That's not gonna happen without the akumas' help and you know it." Evillustrator stated with a sigh.

Nathaniel was a little perturbed.

"Hold it!" A voice shouted. The two boys looked up to the screen and saw Ladybug was confronting Zombizou. "How can you drain the love waves from these innocent people?!"

"It's nice to meet you, Ladybug." Zombizou giggled.

Ladybug spun her yo-yo and started bathing her opponent with her own love waves. Zombizou grunted in pain before jumping away.

"Get back here!" Ladybug shouted before taking off after her.

"Damned Love Angel. That was fast." Evillustrator griped before drawing up a portal to go to the scene. He left Nathaniel in his room.

Ladybug was running through the woods. She stopped when she came face-to-face with Zombizou.

She giggled and said, "Aw, how sweet. When an adorable girl comes running after me, I have to stop and see what I can do to help. It's the teacher in me, after all."

Ladybug took her yo-yo out and began spinning it.

"What's the deal with this one, Nooroo?" Ladybug asked.

"That's Zombizou! She can drain people of their love waves!" Nooroo warned.

"Well, not me!" Ladybug declared.

"So... Who's the one who has your heart, honey?" Zombizou asked before glowing pale blue. As her form changed...

"Luka?" Ladybug asked, surprised to see her crush there.

"It's so great to see you here, Marinette. This place is perfect for me to play music," "Luka" stated. "Come closer. I want to get to know you better, and maybe we can start our own love song."

"Oh, Luka..." Ladybug said, nearly swooning.

Then Zombizou glowed again, before changing into Adrien.

 _"Adrien?!"_ Ladybug squawked before stepping back in shock.

"I've always hoped that you would like me. I've felt the same way, Mariboo!" "Adrien" spoke.

"What's happening here?!" Ladybug asked.

"Keep alert, Ladybug! This akuma can look into the heart of anyone she's near, and turn into the one they love!" Nooroo stated as Zombizou kept switching from Luka to Adrien and back again.

"Marinette..." "Luka" murmured, before switching back into Adrien.

"Mariboo..." "Adrien" spoke back.

"NO! Not looking!" Ladybug hollered, squeezing her eyes shut before taking out her yo-yo. _"Ladybug Bridal Blast!"_

She fired a giant blast of white love waves at Zombizou, but she was nimble enough to evade it. She jumped up into the tree.

Ladybug opened her eyes to see that she missed.

"Ladybug, I'll see you soon!" Zombizou giggled before vanishing.

"Crap, I missed..." Ladybug griped.

Nearby, Evillustrator had seen everything that happened, and he said, "The Bridal Blast... It could even destroy me if I'm not careful."

He then vanished.

Nathaniel was running through the same park.

"This is the park that Zombizou and Ladybug were fighting in, I'm sure!" Nathaniel shouted.

He stopped when he caught sight of red walking through the woods to leave.

"Ladybug!" Nathaniel spoke, surprised to see the angel.

As she was making to leave, Ladybug was talking with Nooroo.

"So Ladybug, who do you have stronger feelings for? Luka, or Adrien?" Nooroo questioned.

"I have no idea, Nooroo..." She admitted.

Nathaniel was hiding behind another nearby tree. As Ladybug passed out of sight, a flash of pink was barely seen, and then Marinette came out from the other side.

"Oh, Marinette." Nathaniel said, coming out from behind the tree.

The kwamis ducked into hiding before they could be seen. Startled, Marinette said, "Oh, Nathaniel... Hi there. How... How are you?"

"Oh, I didn't see a thing..." Nathaniel said, before turning tail and running. "Um, bye!"

"Hold it, Nathaniel..." Marinette began, before looking at her kwamis in confusion.

The next day at school, Marinette and company were in their club room, talking about a news article Alya had found online. They were looking at their club laptop.

"This is awful. The men and women who were attacked by the kissing fiend have been left very weak," Alya said. "And they're not sure if the damage is reversible."

"Sounds like that akuma I ran into last night, Zombizou." Marinette said to her team.

"Did you get her?" Trixx questioned.

"Sorry, I'm afraid not." Marinette admitted.

There was a knock at the door, and the kwamis hid.

Nathaniel opened the door and said, "Hey Marinette? Can I talk to you? Alone?"

"What, you don't have the balls to talk to Marinette with me and Chloé in the room?" Alya teased.

"No, I seriously need to talk to Marinette alone." Nathaniel said, blushing.

"Okay..." Marinette said as she slowly left the room with Nathaniel.

"Marinette and Nathaniel? Doesn't sound right to me." Alya said.

The others in the room nodded in agreement.

Out in the courtyard, Marinette was following Nathaniel, who was mentally prepping himself for what he was going to do. Evillustrator's image phased out so he could talk to Nathaniel.

 _'Nathaniel, listen, I understand you want this girl, but please keep your priorities straight! It's time for you to find the Love Angels and-'_ Evillustrator began, but...

 _"QUIET!"_ Nathaniel shouted.

Marinette flinched and said, "Um... I didn't say a word, Nathaniel."

"Oh, sorry, Marinette," Nathaniel said, turning around. "I wasn't talking about you."

Relaxing, Marinette asked, "So, what's the matter?"

"W-W-Well..." Nathaniel began, blushing hard. He then lifted his head before asking loudly, "Marinette, will you go out on a date with me?!"

"Whoa, a date?!" Marinette asked, her eyes wide with surprise and her stomach feeling like it was in knots.

"Thing is, Marinette, I just-" Nathaniel began, but Marinette put a hand up to stop him.

"Nathaniel, listen," Marinette began before putting her hand down. "I'm flattered. I really am, Nathaniel, but the truth is I can't. There's someone else I like."

"Marinette, all it's gonna take is one date with me for you to forget this _other man_ ," Nathaniel pleaded. "If you get to know me, you'll see we're meant for each other!"

"I can't, Nathaniel..." Marinette said sadly. "I'm sorry..."

Nathaniel's face was sad and his eyes were warbling with dejection. Evillustrator phased out a bit just for Nathaniel to see, and said, _'Hey Nathaniel, want some help from an akuma?'_

He phased back in, Nathaniel glowed for a second, and then his face grew angry. He said, "Well, what about that secret of yours? I know all about it."

Marinette looked up in shock.

"W-What secret?" Marinette asked, but then her brain replayed the events from the night before. Their brief encounter. "No way... Impossible..."

"You don't want that secret getting out, do you?" Nathaniel questioned, his arms crossed.

Marinette was stunned silent, not sure how to react.

Evillustrator came out again and said, _'Whoa, look at you, Nathaniel! Taking advantage of an innocent girl. Maybe you DO have the potential to be an akuma.'_

Marinette's face fell.

Inside the school on the second story, Adrien was watching from the window.

Marinette went back to the club room and she reported everything. Unsurprisingly...

"You and Nathaniel? On a date?!" Alya asked, unpleasantly surprised. The kwamis were out, too.

"You'd better have a good reason for doing something so utterly ridiculous, Marinette!" Chloé demanded, hands on her hips.

"He couldn't have worn you down, could he? You didn't just say "yes" because you were sick of his pushiness, right?" Alya asked.

"Well... Truth is, I think there's a possibility that Nathaniel's somehow figured out that I'm Ladybug." Marinette admitted, seriousness in her tone.

 _"HOW?!_ " Chloé asked, angrily. "Isn't there some unbreakable barrier created by our friendship that protects our identities or something?"

"In theory, Lady Chloé." Nooroo said.

"That's why I have to go on this date to make sure. And if Nathaniel suspects something, I'll find a way to trick him otherwise." Marinette said, her arms crossed.

The girls and kwamis were all looking at each other in concern.

 _'My first date, and with a boy I don't even have feelings for. Just my luck.'_ Marinette thought, worried.

The next day, Nathaniel was waiting in the park, dressing in a semi-formal suit. He ditched the tie, the top buttons on his collar were undone, and his slacks were khakis. Overall, it was just a nicer version of his usual outfit. He was also holding a small bouquet of flowers.

He was looking around, and he checked his phone, saying, "Marinette's late... But I guess that's to be expected with her."

Evillustrator came out of Nathaniel's body.

"Remember, Nathaniel. If you want this girl to kiss you, you need to push her, push her, and push her even more. And after that, _keep_ pushing her." Evillustrator advised.

"I know, you already told me." Nathaniel said.

"Zombizou's taking care of your work for you, trying to bait the Love Angels and draw them out," Evillustrator explained. "In the meantime, I hope you'll be able to get a kiss from this Marinette girl without me. _Bonne chance!_ "

He drew his jetpack on his tablet, conjured it up on his back, and then flew off.

Nathaniel gave a sigh.

"Um, Nathaniel?" Marinette said from offscreen.

Nathaniel turned around to see Marinette, dressed in a casual pink dress and flat shoes, and her hair in its usual pigtails. In short, she didn't really put in a lot of effort for this.

"I... Sorry I'm late." She said tensely.

"Oh, Marinette," Nathaniel said as he came over to her, and handed her the flowers. "I got you these flowers. I hope you like them."

Marinette took the bouquet and gave a somewhat awkward smile before saying, "Thank you very much."

The two of them started walking together. Nathaniel was smiling, and Marinette was looking a bit worried.

"So, Nathaniel... What's up with that secret?" Marinette asked.

Smiling, he said, "Oh, don't worry about it. It's not important."

"But it _is_..." Marinette began to insist.

A familiar car pulled up, and out of the back seat came Adrien, who approached them.

"Well, this is an unusual sight," Adrien commented. "Marinette and Nathaniel. Quite an odd pair."

"Adrien..." Marinette began.

"We're on a date," Nathaniel stated. "Is it really that weird?"

"No." Adrien spoke.

"Adrien, you really don't get it..." Marinette began, but Nathaniel cut in.

"We're on our way to my my parents' studio house on the other side of town," Nathaniel said, smirking in triumph. "You jealous?"

"No," Adrien casually stated with a shrug. "It really isn't is my business who Marinette decides to spend her time with."

"Please! Adrien, you don't..." Marinette started.

"I'll be on my way, okay?" Adrien said before turning and walking for the car.

"Adrien!" Marinette said, taking after him.

"Marinette!" Nathaniel spoke after her.

Marinette caught up to Adrien, who was still facing the car, and she said, "Listen, Adrien, I have no choice but to do this!"

"Are you going to be okay on your own with him?" Adrien asked, not turning to look at Marinette.

"Huh?" Marinette asked.

"I know you can handle yourself. But still, let me know if he does anything to you that you don't like, and I'll take care of it." Adrien stated.

"Adrien. Thank you. I'll be okay." Marinette said as she smiled.

"Hey, come on, Marinette!" Nathaniel said before taking Marinette by the hand and dragging her away.

Adrien looked on with worry, and said, "Mariboo..."

Over with the others, they'd met up in Chloé's bedroom and they were looking at the information regarding Zombizou. They even had a map that detailed all of the areas where the attacks were reported.

"Bingo!" Chloé said.

"What's up?" Alya asked.

"This is the area with the most concentrated number of Zombizou reports." She said as she pointed at the park area.

"Yeah, Chloé," Alya said. "I noticed that too."

"So, anyone in that area is almost certain to be attacked by that akuma!" Chloé declared.

Alya face-palmed and said, "Chloé, that goes without saying! I already knew that from all the data we collected."

"Doesn't matter who figured it out first," Chloé argued. "With this knowledge, I'm going right into the war zone!"

"What are you talking about, Lady Chloé?" Nooroo asked. Trixx and Pollen were looking at Chloé in confusion, too.

Soon enough, Chloé had dug out her favorite, sparkly, yellow dress, white wedge shoes, had a white clutch purse, was wearing one of her favorite pendant necklaces, her hair was down for once (but her Miraculous was still in it), and she'd changed her makeup. She was walking through the park, seemingly minding her own business, and she had a smile on her face. Pollen was hiding in the clutch.

 _'Since I'm an utterly fabulous girl, I'll be the bait,'_ Chloé thought as she kept walking. _'That Zombizou will DEFINITELY want to target me.'_

Alya, who was walking was a fair distance away, had her arms crossed and she was looking at Chloé with some bemusement in her face. Trixx was hiding in her shirt, while Nooroo was sitting on her left shoulder.

"If she were more humble, she'd be a _lot_ more attractive to Zombizou." Alya muttered.

"My instincts are telling me we should wait on Ladybug instead of doing this." Nooroo commented.

"Don't worry so much, Nooroo," Alya said with a smile. "Chloé and I have this in the bag."

"That settles it: I'm going to find Marinette." Nooroo said before flying off.

"Hey! Nooroo!" Alya protested before pouting.

At the Kurtzbergs' studio house, Nathaniel was standing at an open window and looking at the sunset-painted sky. The house also had several paintings and other art pieces on the walls. Meanwhile, Marinette was sitting at a small table, looking down at the floor as opposed to at her "date."

Nathaniel said, "A beautiful sunset..."

He turned to Marinette, and suggested, "Hey, why don't we take a trip down the Seine under the starry sky on a rented boat? Sounds romantic, right? We can talk about our plans for the future."

Instead of answering the suggestion, Marinette turned her face up to Nathaniel and asked, "Nathaniel, could you please tell me about that secret you know? Otherwise it's gonna keep bothering me."

Nathaniel's smile fell and he grew a bit quiet. He sighed and said, "Okay, I'll tell you."

Marinette swallowed a lump in her throat.

"Marinette... Are you really the Love Angel Ladybug?" Nathaniel asked.

Marinette tensed, her back straightened up, then asked, "Um... Love Angel? Ladybug? Who's that? A super heroine that you came up with for your comics?"

Nathaniel didn't move an inch. In fact, his arms were crossed and he was looking at Marinette, almost as if he didn't believe her.

 _'Crap! This isn't good! Not at all! What'll I do?!'_ Marinette thought.

Meanwhile, Chloé was still walking through the park, where multiple couples were sitting on benches and being all sickly-sweet with each other. Chloé was being sure to play innocent as she tried to lure out Zombizou.

"Oh dear," Chloé said, trying to get Zombizou's attention. "This is forcing me to face things that I'm _too innocent_ to learn about yet..."

Alya was walking behind, looking at all the couples, and giggled to herself, "I'm learning new things, and it's _so_ much fun."

Unfortunately, Zombizou _was_ close by, but she was busy draining love waves from everyone in the vicinity. She was in the woods, and she had just finished kissing the lips of a young man. He collapsed, and then the akuma giggled.

"Thank you for your love wave." She giggled before turning and walking away... revealing that she had several other victims in her wake, both men and women.

"Ugh, I can't _believe_ she hasn't attacked yet!" Chloé said, crossing one leg over the other. She and Alya had sat down on a bench to take a break. "I've been parading around in my best outfit, basically leaving myself open for her."

"I think _I_ should've been the decoy," Alya said. "You're terrible at being deliberate bait, Chloé."

 _"Excuse me?!"_ She shouted. "What is _that_ supposed to mean?!"

"You're too obvious," Alya elaborated. "You don't _seriously_ think an akuma's dumb enough to fall for that, do you? And not only that, we're in public."

"You think you can do better?!" Chloé insinuated. "Do you even have anything good to-"

 _*AAAAAAAH!*_

"Over there!" Alya said, pointing in the direction the scream came from. "Come on!"

The girls got up and started towards the shout.

A young woman was confronted by Zombizou, and she was scared out of her wits. But then Zombizou shapeshifted into a handsome young man with dark skin, bright green eyes, and short black hair in a mohawk and was wearing clothing that just _screamed_ "biker."

The woman smiled and willingly let Zombizou give her a kiss, draining her love waves.

But nearby, Alya and Chloé were watching everything, and Alya said, "That's got to be her!"

"No kidding!" Chloé agreed just as the kwamis came out of hiding. "Let's get going!"

 _"Cunning Wedding Flower!" "Growing Wedding Flower!" "Bridal Change! Wedding Dress Transform!" "Angel Illusion Rena Rouge!" "Angel Subjection Queen Bee!"_

Rena Rouge took out her flute, then shouted to Zombizou, _"CUT IT OUT!"_

"What?" Zombizou said as she whirled around, leaving the woman unconscious on the soil.

 _"Love Angels Rena Rouge and Queen Bee are here!"_ The girls said as they posed, ready for battle.

"I've been waiting for you two angels." Zombizou giggled before glowing. This time, she was able to use her powers to deceive both Queen Bee and Rena Rouge, by showing them _two_ different faces.

 _"Carapace?!"_ Rena asked, seeing the turtle angel in front of her.

 _"OMG, it's XY!"_ Queen Bee squealed as _she_ saw a young man a little older than her.

He was wearing primarily purple, including a purple headband that framed a blonde, swooping up-do. He had blue eyes, and was wearing an XY gold necklace.

 _"It's great to see you here,"_ Zombizou said, able to split her voice between the illusions. _"I haven't been able to stop thinking about you."_

The girls blushed, smiling and swooning over their crushes.

 _"Nice to see you here, Queenie,"_ Zombizou said, voicing XY. _"How about you come and give me some loving of your own?"_

Queen Bee giggled as she blushed and her knees were getting weak. She squealed, "Oh, you have _no idea_ how much I love your music!"

 _"Rena, come into my arms, dudette,"_ Zombizou spoke, this time voicing Carapace. _"Only_ one _fox is allowed in_ this _turtle's burrow, and that's you."_

"You're a handsome shellback guy, Carapace," Rena swooned. "I could go for a hug and kiss from you right about now."

Blushes on their cheeks and completely taken by the deception, the two angels started walking closer to Zombizou.

Zombizou let out a giggle as she watched the hypnotized angels come close to her, like moths to a flame. She also had her arms out.

Up above the scene, the Evillustrator was watching, a triumphant, evil smirk on his face, and his arms were crossed.

Things weren't going too well on Marinette's end, either.

"Marinette..." Nathaniel said, stepping closer.

"What do you want?" Marinette pleaded.

"I won't say a word to anyone that you're Ladybug," Nathaniel began as he walked closer to Marinette. "I promise to never tell."

"Didn't I just tell you that I don't know who you're talking about?" Marinette questioned as she stood up.

Nathaniel, instead of listening, put his hands on Marinette's shoulders and leaned in closer. Marinette looked at him fearfully.

"Marinette," He said. "I won't tell anyone, I promise, just... Just kiss me."

"K-Kiss you?!" Marinette asked, her voice pitch higher in fear.

"Marinette..." Nathaniel moaned before puckering up and beginning to lean in for a kiss.

Marinette's eyes were wide and she tried to find a way out.

"Lady Marinette!" Nooroo shouted as he came through the window. "Listen-"

Marinette snagged the kwami and blocked Nathaniel's lips with him. Nooroo shouted and blasted butterflies at him, like an electric shock of some type. Nathaniel then fell on his back, unconscious from the impact.

"Blech!" Nooroo gagged, sticking his tongue out. "That was disgusting."

"Sorry about that, Nooroo," Marinette said, hugging the kwami to her cheek. "But I didn't have any choice. It was either that or have to non-consensually sacrifice my lips."

 _"Lips?!"_ Nooroo squeaked. "That reminds me! Zombizou is after the lips of Ladies Chloé and Alya!"

"What?!" Marinette said, with Tikki coming out. "Then let's go!"

In the park...

 _"Come to me."_ Zombizou said, voicing for both disguises at once.

"Carapace..." Rena moaned.

"Play a song for me, XY..." Queen Bee also moaned.

The two angels were swaying, blushing, and they were approaching the akuma without any inhibitions.

"Oh, it's so easy to fool these girls!" Zombizou giggled.

 _"STOP!"_ Ladybug shouted as she jumped on to the scene.

 _"Damn it!"_ Zombizou shouted.

Ladybug took out her yo-yo and started spinning it and bathing the group in rainbow love waves. They were all groaning in pain, but it didn't take long for Rena Rouge and Queen Bee to find the love waves soothing and healing. But Zombizou wasn't very happy about it, and almost in an instant, her illusions shattered.

The other angels gasped as they regained their senses, just as Ladybug jumped in front of them.

"Are you okay?" Ladybug asked of her teammates.

"Yeah, we're good," Queen Bee confirmed. "Thanks."

"Damn you, Ladybug! You've got some nerve, breaking my illusions!" Zombizou griped.

"The only illusions I like are the ones Rena Rouge creates!" Ladybug said.

"You have some nerve, deceiving me with the face of my favorite DJ!" Queen Bee shouted.

 _"Bride's Bashfulness!"_ Queen Bee shouted as she summoned her baton.

Zombizou fired black energy from the palms of her hands.

 _"Marriage Announcement - Honey Star Shower!"_ Queen Bee hollered, firing bee-shaped lights. The black energy split like the Red Sea parting.

"I'm the angel of illusions, but I'm no hypocrite! I can't believe you'd deceive me with the face of my crush!" Rena Rouge shouted. _"Love's Tribute Candle!"_

She summoned her wand, then shouted, _"Miraculous Fantasies!"_

She fired foxtail lights, and it seemed to surround Zombizou. But then she ducked out of the way.

"Time for kisses, girls!" Zombizou said before blowing big, pink, glowing kiss marks.

"Ack!" Queen Bee shouted, narrowly dodging one kiss by quickly moving to her left.

"Ew!" Rena squeaked, ducking and leaning her back backwards, as if she were doing the limbo.

"Knock it off!" Ladybug squealed, ducking her head.

Zombizou fired _more_ kisses, but yet again...

"Ah!" Queen Bee screamed.

"Stop that!" Rena shouted, hitting the dirt on her stomach.

"Cut it out!" Ladybug screamed as she dodged another kiss while covering her rear.

Zombizou blew a _giant_ kiss at the girls, and this time it had its tongue sticking out and swishing around.

The girls were grossed out, but they weren't _too_ paralyzed to move.

"Look out, girls!" Nooroo shouted.

Ladybug dodged the kiss by doing something akin to leap frog, meanwhile Rena and Queen Bee ran to avoid the giant French kiss.

"Hey, don't you know that you shouldn't kiss people without their consent?! _Especially_ if they don't have feelings for you?!" Ladybug barked out. "If you don't understand, then don't go around kissing this way!"

"Silly girl!" Zombizou said before blowing yet another giant, French kiss.

Ladybug summoned up her Lady's Crystal and took it into her hands.

 _"Lady's Crystal!"_ Ladybug called out, activating it.

The glowing lights from the Lady's Crystal were bathing the giant lips, and then they were converted into akuma energy. The energy was then absorbed into the crystal, causing it to flash red and for the wings to open.

 _"Engagement Present! Lady's Crystal, L'amour Pour Vous!"_ Ladybug shouted, shooting the love waves at Zombizou.

Zombizou was blasted directly, but her facial expression went from pained to happy. She said, "Wow... The feelings of this love wave are as sweet as a kiss of pure love."

She faded into sparkles before going up into the sky.

"Well, mission accomplished again," Rena said as she and Queen Bee approached their leader. "And _man_ , that was an uncomfortable one."

"No kidding. I mean, yuck, kisses against our will?! _Ridiculous! Utterly ridiculous!"_ Queen Bee added.

"Crap!" Ladybug said. "I totally forgot about Nathaniel!"

The people who were attacked by Zombizou were waking up, but their memories were blank.

"Ugh... What happened?" "What am I doing here?"

Up in his hiding spot in the tree, Evillustrator muttered, "Crap. You can't even steal a kiss from those girls."

He took his jetpack and flew off.

Back at the studio house...

"Nathaniel? Oh, Nathaniel?" Marinette said, crouching over Nathaniel.

Nathaniel stirred, and then he woke up to see Marinette. He sat up a bit and asked, "W-What happened?"

"I really haven't a clue," Marinette said. "You were trying to force a kiss on me, and then you just fainted. You've been out for hours."

"I... I see." Nathaniel said, blushing.

"Just... Promise me you won't try anything like that again, okay?" Marinette gently asked. "No one wants to be kissed without consent."

Nathaniel didn't answer back.

"Now... Let me go and get you some water." Marinette said as she made her way to the studio house's kitchen.

As she quietly shut the door, she said to her kwamis, "That was close..."

Back out in the main room, Nathaniel stood up, a wistful smile on his face, and murmured, "Marinette..."

The window opened and the Evillustrator flew in.

"Ack! Evillustrator!" Nathaniel quietly panicked. "Listen, hurry and get inside me! Marinette's in the kitchen _right now!_ "

"Don't go ordering me around." Evillustrator spat, a sour look on his face.

"And... How'd it go with the Love Angels?" Nathaniel questioned quietly.

"Quiet," Evillustrator said, pinching the bridge of his nose in annoyance. "Ladybug showed up and ruined _everything_. I need a break..."

He flew inside Nathaniel, who groaned in pain a bit, but then he relaxed.

"Okay, so... That rules Marinette out as a suspect. There's no way she's a Love Angel." Nathaniel said, a bit relieved.

"Isn't that what I've been saying from the get-go?" Marinette sweetly asked as she came out with a glass of ice water.

However, being the klutz she was, she wound up tripping on nothing, and the water glass flew out of her hands.

"AH!" Nathaniel shouted as the ice water splashed all over him.

 _"Sorry!"_ Marinette squealed.

* * *

 **That was a close call! Marinette's thrown Nathaniel off her trail... For now, at least.**

 **In the next chapter, Nathaniel takes advantage of Marinette's weak spot, people in distress and crying, to get her to do a mock wedding with him. Wait,** ** _what?!_** **Okay, this is just getting insane! And it doesn't look like Adrien's too fond the idea, either.**

 **Alright, let's see about episode 37, focusing on Kagami/Ryuuko.**

 **In the angel realm...**

 **"Ryuuko is the fourth Love Angel?" Fu recapped.**

 **"That's right, dude," Carapace reported. "And now we have all four of the Miraculous Something Four, but..."**

 **"But?" Fu questioned.**

 **"But it doesn't seem like the angel realm is a priority for Ryuuko," Carapace added. "It seems her only interest is destroying and killing akumas."**

 **"I fail to understand why Ryuuko must try and convince everyone why she's so strong," Fu admitted. "Or why she fights solo... I wonder..."**

 **"You wonder what, Master?" Carapace asked.**

 **"As you're aware, angels are beings that are extremely in tune with their emotions and their love waves above everything else," Fu stated. "But if events were to happen that were to disturb those love waves, I wonder what would happen to that angel."**

 **There was silence for a second.**

 **"There's a chance that the seed of hatred could be planted inside that angel's heart." Fu somberly spoke.**

 **"Seed of hatred?!" Carapace asked. "How could it be possible for something so nasty to live inside the heart of an angel?"**

 **"Hm..." Fu murmured.**


	26. The Mock Wedding!

**Okay, time for more "Wedding Ladybug!" This time, Evillustrator (starting to get a bit fed up with Nathaniel's crush on Marinette) suggests Nathaniel try to goad Marinette into a mock wedding with him.**

 **Needless to say, Marinette is** ** _not_** **comfortable with doing it, even** ** _after_** **seeing her classmate shedding tears. The lengths she'll go to to see her friends happy... Is Adrien going to do the right thing and step in to stop the wedding?  
**

 **Sorry these chapters take so long. Between juggling other stories, a part-time job, etc., these things take time.**

* * *

Nathaniel was once again in his room, looking over his comic drawings of Marinette, and was muttering to himself. His eyes were glued to Marinette's perfectly-sketched profile, and he all but swooned.

"How can I get Marinette to fall in love with me...?" He murmured. "I can't win her love by forcing it. That wouldn't be right."

He then remembered that a few years ago, he witnessed Marinette going to comfort _Chloé_ of all people when she was crying. The next thing he knew, Chloé had become Alya and Marinette's BFF, and it was _so confusing_.

And it wasn't just Chloé that Marinette would to go comfort when she saw someone crying - it was almost _anyone_ who would be feeling down. If she saw someone who needed help, comfort, or anything, she'd go over and listen to them.

"Aha... She's weak against tears." Nathaniel realized as he smiled.

The Evillustrator then appeared behind him. Nathaniel slammed his book shut and picked up his phone as the akuma approached.

"What'cha up to, Nathaniel?" He asked.

"Um, just doing research on the Love Angels on my phone." The redhead lied, his eyes darting around.

"Oh?" Evillustrator asked.

"Speaking of whom, did you find them?" Nathaniel questioned weakly.

Evillustrator sighed before going inside Nathaniel. The redhead groaned in pain as the black energy was absorbed into him. He fell to his knees.

"Ow... Please cut that out," Nathaniel muttered as he stood up. He was standing right next to the full length mirror on the door to his room. "You know I hate it when you get in and out of my body like that. It's painful."

The reflection in the mirror changed from Nathaniel to the Evillustrator. He said, "Nathaniel, you're as transparent as a windowpane. You should know by now that you can't hide anything from me."

"What are you talking about?" Nathaniel asked.

"Don't play dumb," Evillustrator commented with a chuckle. He crossed his arms and he had an amused smile. "You're still going on and on about that Marinette girl."

Nathaniel turned to the mirror, only for his cheeks to match his hair.

"Just like I thought," He said with a sigh. "Listen, why not marry her? Have a wedding?"

"Whoa, _marry her?!_ " Nathaniel asked. "That's going _way_ too fast! Besides, legally, we're not old enough to do that yet!"

"No, I mean a mock wedding," Evillustrator said, chuckling again. Nathaniel sighed in relief. "Aren't there mock wedding demonstrations done at bridal fairs and the like all the time? Using that as the bait, there's no way she wouldn't give you a kiss. After all, that's the most anticipated part of the ceremony, isn't it?"

"No way..." Nathaniel muttered, but then he went to pondering the suggestion.

The next day at school, Chloé and Alya were in their club room, with the kwamis out. They had a few treats out, such as homemade fig bars and mini honey bundt cakes with an orange blossom honey glaze, all courtesy of Tom and Marinette. There were some coffee cups from the bakery, too. There were a few chocolate chip cookies out as well, just in case Tikki, Nooroo, and Marinette came back.

"Are you sure?" Chloé asked. "Marinette and Adrien? A couple?"

"Yeah! I've seen the sparks!" Alya said.

"But you've seen how they talk to each other," Chloé commented. "It always turns into an argument."

"Marinette _has_ let her guard down around him, though," Trixx commented. "Remember when he got kidnapped by Dark Cupid? She was _worried sick_ about him."

"But Duchess Marinette decided to have Duke Carapace erase his memories," Pollen added. "So even if that knave _did_ show Duchess Marinette kindness, he wouldn't remember."

"True," Chloé agreed. "And don't forget that Marinette's got _some_ feelings for Luka. We can't be insensitive to that!"

"Yeah, I get that, and honestly, I wouldn't mind them pairing up either if it made her happy, but I still think we should at least _try_ to get Marinette and that blonde together!" Alya insisted.

"Why are you so stuck on this idea, anyway?" Trixx asked. "I'm not sure Marinette would like it if we meddled in her love life."

"Well, I think they'd be great together, to start with," Alya replied. " _BUT_ there's an even more important reason! It could be an edge in the war."

"Um... Not understanding here, Alya." Chloé stated.

"Think about it! If Marinette has a boyfriend, then her love waves will be stronger! And the stronger _her_ love waves, the more powerful the love waves that the Miraculous Something Four will radiate, and in turn, the sturdier the barrier that surrounds the angel realm will be! And that'll give us the upper hand in the angel-akuma war!"

"Wow, Alya, you're not just thinking of your friend's happiness, but of another way to win the war," Trixx said. "Killing two birds with one stone. You're a clever one!"

"Yep," Chloé agreed. "And now that you mention it, stronger love waves _could_ be a good thing. On the other hand, the stronger the love waves, the more incentive the akumas would have to attack her _and_ us by extension."

"But Duchess Marinette is capable of handling herself," Pollen stated. "She was battling those akumas prior to your awakening."

"Pollen's right," Trixx agreed. "But that doesn't mean we shouldn't do whatever we can to strengthen our powers."

"Another thing that would help is that if we find the fourth of us Love Angels, _and_ that last piece of the Miraculous Something Four - the Something New." Chloé added.

"Yeah, good point," Alya agreed as she ate a honey bundt cake. "The three of us alone can only do so much for so long..."

Meanwhile, Nathaniel was sitting on one of the staircases at the school, trying to take his mind off of the Evillustrator's advice by working on his drawing.

 _'Nathaniel, if you want it to happen, then do what I advised NOW!'_ Evillustrator spoke from inside.

"I..." Nathaniel began, reluctant to make any moves.

Unbeknownst to him, Marinette was hiding in a nearby corridor across from the bottom of the stairs. She was watching Nathaniel, trying to find something.

"Lady Marinette, spying on people isn't a nice thing to do." Nooroo spoke as he and Tikki were poking out of Marinette's bag.

"But doesn't it worry you?" Marinette asked Nooroo. "He asked me if I was a Love Angel. More accurately, he asked me right to my face if I was Ladybug! How does he know about that, anyway?!"

"She has a point," Tikki spoke. "There really shouldn't be any way for Nathaniel to know about any of that, especially since you and the others are _so private_ about those discussions."

"It's just too strange! I need to find out how he knows." Marinette whined.

Nearby, Adrien, in his fencing gear, was coming out of the lockers to get to fencing practice, but he noticed Marinette.

"Mariboo?" He questioned aloud.

"Poor Marinette," Alya said. She and Chloé had approached. "She's been keeping her eyes on Nathaniel lately. No clue why, though."

Adrien's face contorted in discomfort.

"Well, Nathaniel _has_ been _really_ set on wooing her these days," Chloé added. "I just hope Marinette hasn't taken his pushiness too seriously and started liking him like _that._ "

"That's impossible," Adrien said. "I've seen her shoot him down."

"But he doesn't quit," Alya added. "And you probably shouldn't be so confident about it, either. Check it out."

Alya pointed out Nathaniel approaching Marinette again, and she was trying to be polite and hear him out, but she was also visibly nervous.

"He's gotten _really_ forceful," Chloé admitted. "Wouldn't surprise me if he managed to start stealing her kisses."

Adrien blushed subtly as Alya said, "That's disgusting! She's constantly telling him "no," but he can't take a hint."

"Um... Should I really care what goes on between them?" Adrien asked innocently, but the ire on his face was palpable. "Is it really any of my business?"

He put his mask on before going out to meet the rest of the team for practice. Alya and Chloé looked at each other in worry.

In another classroom, Nathaniel was standing by the window.

Evillustrator phased out and said to him, _'Nathaniel, if you want her to give you some attention, you'll_ really _need to turn on the waterworks.'_

"Is it gonna kill you leave me alone?" The redhead questioned.

 _'Yes, and it looks like sympathy is the only way you'll get a kiss from her,'_ Evillustrator teased. _'Time to harden up that weakling heart of yours.'_

The thumb ring glowed, then the glow transferred to Nathaniel's body for a few seconds. He was groaning in pain, and when the glowing subsided, his eyes flashed red for a split second.

The classroom door opened. Nathaniel turned his akuma-influenced face to the sound, and he saw Marinette coming in.

With a smile (granted a cautious one due to his behavior as of late), Marinette spoke, "Hi, Nathaniel. You needed me?"

He started sniveling a bit, loud enough for Marinette to hear.

"Nathaniel?! What's the matter?" Marinette asked.

"I... I'm so embarrassed..." Nathaniel cried, putting his hand on a desk, and the other one on his face.

"Nathaniel..." Marinette said.

"I... I tried doing another flip on the bars, but I couldn't pull it off, and everyone started laughing at me!" Nathaniel cried.

"What? How? You did it once before." Marinette said.

"I don't know!" Nathaniel whined. "It had to be a fluke! No other way to explain it!"

He left the desk and walked to the window. He looked out of it, a wistful look with tears in his eyes.

"Ever since childhood, I've been poor at sports," He recounted, still sobbing. "Never heard the end of the teasing. Even... Even now!"

"Don't cry, Nathaniel..." Marinette said, approaching him.

"I can't do sports! Just plain and simple!" Nathaniel cried.

"Come on, Nathaniel," Marinette said with a smile. "Focus on the things that you're good at, things you're passionate about, the things that make you happy. Your drawing, for example. You're one of the best artists in school!"

"I may be poor at STEM, but I'm not an idiot," Nathaniel cried. "No one likes me, they all think I'm lame!"

"That isn't true, Nathaniel," Marinette insisted. "Don't beat yourself up like that. Everyone in school loves your artwork and your comics."

"Stop, please..." Nathaniel said, turning teary eyes to Marinette.

Her face fell sadly.

He walked away from the window and said, "I'll never find love. No girl wants a guy who can't do sports."

"Cut it out, Nathaniel," Marinette said, getting annoyed. "There are _plenty_ of girls who prefer artists over athletes. Take me, for example. I'd much prefer a man who would serenade me on their instrument... Possibly a guitar or a piano..."

"You're just saying that to make me feel better." Nathaniel began, still crying.

"I'm not, it's the truth," Marinette insisted. "I hate it when my friends are feeling sad like this."

"You mean it?" He asked.

"Yes." Marinette said with a nod and smile.

"Then will you help me with a confidence booster?" He questioned.

"Sure," Marinette confirmed. "What can I do?"

"W... Will you have a wedding ceremony with me?" Nathaniel requested.

"Whoa, a wedding ceremony?!" Marinette said, her eyes bulging out.

Nathaniel stepped forward, his hands locked together in pleading, and said, "Don't worry. I mean a mock wedding ceremony. Just to help me feel better."

"Hang on, Nathaniel..." Marinette began.

But Nathaniel blinked and sighed before turning away, "Don't start. It's a stupid idea, you're right."

He turned his back and began sobbing again, before saying, "As if you'd have a mock wedding with a loser like me! How can I love anyone when I don't even love _myself?!_ "

"Don't cry, Nathaniel!" Marinette said as she watched Nathaniel cry. "If it... It's only a fake one, right? I'll do it."

He turned around with a big smile and said, "Really?! Then will you come to the studio house this Saturday?"

"Um... Okay." Marinette said with a stiff smile and nod.

The kwamis, who were in the bag and listening to the whole thing, looked at each other anxiously while sweat dropping.

Out on the fencing field, Adrien was sparring with his teammates, but he was a little distracted. As he was waiting for his turn, the image of Marinette and Nathaniel talking to each other was sticking out in his mind.

 _"Well, Nathaniel_ has _been_ really _set on wooing her these days,"_ Chloé's voice rang in his mind. He could see their faces in his brain, too. _"I just hope Marinette hasn't taken his pushiness too seriously and started liking him like_ that."

 _"He doesn't quit,"_ Alya's voice said as he saw her. _"And you probably shouldn't be so confident about it, either."_

 _"He's gotten_ really _forceful. Wouldn't surprise me if he managed to start stealing her kisses."_ Chloé spoke in Adrien's head.

An opponent on the team charged at Adrien with his saber. The shout immediately pulled Adrien out of his mental state and he just narrowly avoided the saber, only to get touched with the thing, and he fell onto his stomach on the mat.

"Adrien!" The coach shouted. "Focus!"

"Sorry." Adrien spoke as he stood up and he went back to sparring.

Meanwhile, Marinette was watching the sparring practice with a sad look from in front of the door to one of the other classrooms.

Later, Adrien was in the bathroom, splashing water on his face and letting the water run down his head. He lifted his head out of the sink and shook the water off. He breathed a heavy sigh.

A towel was thrown to Adrien's side. He picked it up and turned around to see Nino.

"Hey dude," He said. "I was watching from the sidelines. What happened out there?"

Adrien turned his face away, a sad look.

"Your head was elsewhere today," Nino added. "Like you were preoccupied."

"Well..." Adrien began.

"Is it about a girl, dude?" Nino asked.

"What? Whatever gave you that idea, Nino?" Adrien asked.

With a chuckle, Nino said, "You gotta be honest about these things, dude. Honest about your own feelings."

Adrien looked at Nino with a questioning look before the DJ started to leave. He said, "If you have feelings for her, you gotta be a man and tell her. Faint heart never won fair lady, after all."

Nino left Adrien to think.

Back at the Dupain-Cheng house, Marinette was up in her room, holding her mother's wedding dress up against her while looking in the mirror. But she wasn't happy about it.

"Ugh... Mom, what should I do?" Marinette questioned loudly.

"You shouldn't do this!" Tikki said to her owner.

"But Tikki, Nooroo..." Marinette murmured, remembering the distress that Nathaniel was in.

"Lady Marinette, you can't have a wedding, even a fake one!" Nooroo insisted.

Marinette didn't respond, only muttering, "But I already told him I would do it..."

"Marinette, how can you stand next to Nathaniel in a wedding dress, _your Maman's_ wedding dress, when your heart yearns for another?!" Tikki questioned, worried.

Marinette's mind played moving images of her moments with Adrien, and with Luka.

But she shook her head and lifted the dress up, saying, "I'm so sorry, mom, but I have to help Nathaniel! I made a promise... And it's only a pretend wedding, too, right...?"

That self pep talk didn't stop Marinette from crying, though. Tikki and Nooroo looked at each other, worried.

That Saturday morning, Alya was in her room, working on a blog post about spreading love and how to maintain it, as another low-key weapon against the akumas (she put in a disclaimer about her only talking about experience and she was NOT a professional in this field, so reader discretion was advised).

"What? Marinette?" Alya asked. Nooroo had gone to Alya's house to inform her of what was going on. Tikki stayed behind with Marinette.

"That's right!" Nooroo insisted.

"We'd better get Chloé." Trixx added.

At the studio house, Nathaniel was getting ready for the "wedding." He was already in a nice, dark purple tuxedo with a white rose boutonnière in the lapel. He also combed his hair and was looking at the makeshift altar he set up, _chuppah_ and everything.

 _'She'll be here soon, Nathaniel,'_ The Evillustrator stated as he spoke from inside. _'I gotta say, you're quite the actor. You pulled off a_ brilliant _performance! Very convincing.'_

"I'm still having second thoughts about doing that," Nathaniel admitted. "I feel awful about deceiving her with fake tears the way I did."

 _'But thanks to that display of yours, you've got your chance to kiss her!'_ Evillustrator laughed inside the boy's body, as the poor redhead looked over his altar.

Nathaniel's mind was still stewing when he heard the doorbell.

"Marinette!" He said, delighted as he ran for the front door. "Marinette, you're early! Hang on, I'll be right there in a second!"

He opened the door, only to see Adrien in there instead of Marinette.

"Adrien Agreste!" Nathaniel spoke as he stepped back, getting on the defensive.

"Hi, um... Where's Mariboo?" Adrien said as he cautiously stepped inside the doorway.

"Huh?" Nathaniel asked.

"Is Marinette Dupain-Cheng here?" Adrien questioned as he looked around a little bit.

"Hey, you weren't invited inside," Nathaniel stated, getting the blonde's attention. "And even if Marinette _were_ here, how would that be any business of _yours_ , Adrien?"

Adrien's face fell with a scowl, then murmured, "She's smart, but this is pretty stupid of her to do..."

"I beg your pardon?" Nathaniel asked.

He picked his head up and glared at Nathaniel, saying, "You can easily trick her into coming here, can't you?"

"That may be true, but again, this isn't your business, Adrien," Nathaniel said, before crossing his arms and cocking a brow. "Unless there's something going on between you and Marinette?"

Adrien recoiled a little bit, a tiny blush came upon his face, then he looked down, saying, "Marinette's just a friend..."

With a smirk, Nathaniel said, "Listen, Marinette's coming here for one reason only: because she _wants_ to. If anyone's a problem here, it's _YOU_ , bub."

"Huh?" Adrien asked.

"Now _leave!_ " Nathaniel barked, shoving Adrien out the door. "Get lost!"

"Listen, pull anything cruel on Marinette, do _anything_ to upset her, or give her even _one_ reason to make her cry, and _I'm_ the one you'll answer to. Understand?" Adrien said, pointing at Nathaniel's face before walking away to the car.

"What's _his_ problem?" Nathaniel questioned aloud.

 _'Love can turn into a contest when there's more than one person vying for someone's heart. Looks like you've got competition, Nathaniel.'_ Evillustrator explained.

"Just _BE QUIET_ for a while, why don't you?!" Nathaniel shouted, spooking the Evillustrator and forcing him back inside his body.

Nathaniel watched from the window on the second floor of the studio house as Adrien's family car started driving away.

 _'If I give her even_ one _reason to make her cry...'_ Nathaniel thought, the words repeating in his head.

As Adrien sulked while riding in the car, he was thinking, _'What was I doing?'_

Nathaniel walked out to the patio on the top floor, and looked out over the city. He saw something out of his peripheral vision, and turned to see Marinette walking up to the studio house from a long way away.

"Marinette!" He said with a smile.

Marinette was carrying her mother's wedding dress in a suitcase, and walking to the studio house. She saw it in the distance, then took a deep breath.

"Marinette, are you sure this is a good idea?" Tikki asked from Marinette's purse.

"I _know_ I'm doing the right thing, Tikki," Marinette insisted. "Nathaniel needs to get his confidence back, and I want to help."

"I don't know, Marinette," Tikki commented. "I feel like this is just another plot to get a kiss from you."

"You're probably right, Tikki, but when I saw him crying, I... I couldn't help but feel like I needed to reach out a helping hand." Marinette admitted.

"You're kind almost to a fault, Marinette," Tikki spoke. "If you're sure this is the right thing, then let's go."

Marinette gave a nod and continued on her way to the studio house.

Nathaniel was watching Marinette, but...

 _'Hey, I'm picking up a VERY strong love wave! It might be a Love Angel!'_ Evillustrator said as he phased out of Nathaniel in a wave of black energy. He took out his pen and started sketching something on his wrist tablet.

He conjured up a creature that looked like a small kindergarten child from Japan, including the clothes and hat and a small pack on its back. Nathaniel balked at the sight of the thing.

"I think that girl nearby might be a Love Angel. Would you please take a look?" Evillustrator stated.

"Okay!" The small child-like akuma said before flying off.

Marinette was making her way to the house when a rush of wind blew over her. Above her, the akuma child was looking at her with a smile and asked, "Are you a Love Angel, by chance?"

"What _are_ you?!" Marinette questioned.

"I'm detecting a _very_ strong love wave from you!" The little akuma said as the small coin purse backpack opened up. A pink cyclone came out of it and attacked Marinette.

She screamed in pain. The little akuma was giggling and cackling as the love waves from Marinette were slowly being drained. But she stood firm, trying to resist the akuma's pull. Even Tikki was hanging on tight inside the clutch.

"Show who you truly are before you're out of time!" The akuma taunted in a singsong tone.

 _"Bride's Bashfulness!"_ Queen Bee shouted. _"Marriage Announcement - Honey Star Shower!"_

She spun her baton and fired the bee lights, blasting the akuma kid, forcing it to stop its attack on Marinette.

 _"Love's Tribute Candle!"_ Rena hollered as she summoned her wand, then shouted, _"Miraculous Fantasies!"_

She fired the foxtail lights at the kid, and he screamed in agony.

"Rena! Queen Bee!" Marinette spoke. The two angels were standing side-by-side as they smiled, ready for a fight.

"Aha! The Love Angels!" The akuma spoke as it fired black energy from the coin purse backpack.

The girls leaped out of the way to evade it, then started trying to attack the small akuma, who was playing games with them by playfully jumping around to dodge them, irritating them further.

"Lady Marinette!" Nooroo shouted as he approached her.

"Nooroo! You told the girls where I'd be, didn't you?" Marinette asked in delight.

"That was so smart, Nooroo!" Tikki agreed, flying out of hiding.

"Thank me later! Just stop that akuma!" Nooroo stated.

Marinette nodded.

 _"Lucky Wedding Flower! Bridal Change! Wedding Dress Transform! Angel Creation Ladybug!"_

Immediately, Rena Rouge grabbed the backpack on the akuma with a snarl on her face.

"Gotcha, you little brat!" Rena said with a smile. "Honestly, this isn't much different than keeping my sisters under control."

" _Now_ you're stuck!" Queen Bee stated, tapping the kid on the head with her baton.

But the little akuma pulled up two red triangle stickers, and swiftly slapped them on the girls' foreheads. They gasped, and were rendered immobile.

"Hahahah! Do whatever you want, but no matter how much you try, you won't be able to move!" The akuma giggled as the girls stood, paralyzed. "Now to drain your love waves!"

The coin purse opened up again and the pink cyclones attacked the girls directly. The akuma was cackling, but a yo-yo string came out, wrapped itself around the small akuma, and then it was thrown into a tree.

Ladybug stepped forward, still spinning her yo-yo, and she said, "Stop right there! If you think you can get away with draining my friends' love waves, then you're wrong!"

But the akuma took out more triangle stickers and started throwing them at Ladybug. She kept ducking and dodging, even blocking the stickers with her yo-yo.

"Make sure those stickers don't touch you, LB!" Rena Rouge hollered.

"You'll be like a statue if you get stuck!" Queen Bee added.

Ladybug immediately summoned her Lady's Crystal.

 _"Lady's Crystal!"_ Ladybug shouted as she got ready to use it.

But the akuma immediately threw a triangle sticker at her forehead, forcing Ladybug to be stuck in her pose. She gasped, and tried moving, but nothing.

The akuma giggled, and said, "You look very silly the way you're posing!"

"Ladybug!" Rena and Queen Bee shouted, worried.

Over with Adrien, he'd asked the bodyguard to pull over. He was now standing on the bridge at the Canal Saint-Martin.

"Mariboo... I really wish..." Adrien began.

Back with the angels, the little akuma had opened up its coin purse backpack was draining Ladybug's love waves. But a familiar green shield cut through the pink cyclone before acting like a boomerang and hitting the akuma square in the chin.

Then it returned to its owner. Up in the sky, for the umpteenth time, was Carapace. He'd caught his shield and put it on his back again.

 _"Carapace!"_ The angels shouted in delight.

"You're a sight for sore eyes!" Nooroo agreed.

"Don't bother trying to steal the Miraculous Something Four with your wicked schemes, dude! We _will_ guard them with our lives!" Carapace said.

Another portal came out of nowhere, and Evillustrator stepped through. He was wearing his jetpack, and this time he sketched out a sword before taking it into his hand.

"You leave Carapace to me! Just get the Love Angels!" Evillustrator shouted before flying to go and fight.

Carapace held his shield up as Evillustrator slammed his sword down on it, meanwhile the tiny akuma started sucking the love waves out of the angels via the cyclone coming out of the coin purse again.

The girls were screaming in pain.

"Ahhh!" Nooroo screamed. "What am I gonna do?!"

Yet again with Adrien, he was stewing in his thought when he heard piano keys playing. He looked in his pocket to see a green glow, and he pulled out his father's ring to see it glowing green.

"What the hell?" He said.

The ring shot a green beam out to the sky. It cut across the sky and bathed the Love Angels, stopping the draining process. The girls' surroundings were highlighted, like a beautiful spring day, and the cyclone from the coin purse stopped. The akuma paused, blinking in confusion.

The sound of piano keys being played was ringing out and the girls were listening.

"Do you hear that piano?" Ladybug questioned.

"It sounds so beautiful." Nooroo commented.

The piano sounds kept ringing out through the silent scene. The girls listened intently, feeling soothed.

"Wow... My heart's feeling warmer, and it feels completely new." Ladybug said, smiling in calm.

"It's intense." Queen Bee commented, mirroring Ladybug.

"I'm feeling a new hope, and a new dream, too." Rena added, smiling.

"Are you girls feeling a new love wave?! Because I am!" Ladybug said, her smile going from calm to confident and determined.

"Yeah!" Rena Rouge agreed.

 _"We're not going down without a fight!"_ The trio declared.

The girls' Miraculous Something Four tools all shot light beams, and when they converged, a white light orb formed from it. The love waves radiating from it stopped the akuma in its tracks.

A beautiful tiara emerged from the light orb. The tiara was small, with crimson as the primary color. The heart-shaped gemstone was gold, and the tiara had black accents to it. It was the type of tiara that would be worn on the forehead of a person instead of on top of one's head.

"That tiara...!" Ladybug spoke.

The Miracle Box in the angel realm opened up, glowing.

The tiara was still radiating light and love waves.

"The final Miraculous Something Four! The Something New!" Carapace declared.

"The _last_ part?!" Ladybug declared.

"The Something New?!" Queen Bee asked.

"For real?!" Rena questioned.

The tiara slowly fell towards the angels, and the love waves that it radiated caused the stickers on the girls' foreheads to fade away.

"Hey! My stickers!" The akuma shouted.

Once the girls could move again, they jumped to fight. But the akuma fired energy from its coin purse backpack.

This time, Ladybug was ready. She absorbed the energy through the Lady's Crystal.

"Now to finish you off!" Ladybug said as the crystal glowed. _"Engagement Present! Lady's Crystal,_ _L'amour Pour Vous!"_

With a blast of love waves, the akuma was purified and its facial expression smiled. It then turned into sparkles and flew into the sky.

"Ugh, doesn't matter if the alum's defeated! I'll get that Something New!" Evillustrator shouted before flying to the Something New.

But its love waves were so powerful that it repelled him.

"Quick, get it!" Ladybug shouted, but then the tiara started flying away.

"Hey, get back here!" Evillustrator hollered as he started flying after the tiara.

Carapace approached the girls, and he said, "Ladybug, Rena Rouge, Queen Bee..."

"Yes?" Ladybug asked.

"The new hope and love you three found has brought the Miraculous Something New to life." Carapace stated.

"But why did it just fly off like that?" Nooroo asked.

"No idea, dude," Carapace said. "Though I have a hunch... Maybe its going off to find the fourth Love Angel and bring her to us."

"The fourth Love Angel?! I nearly forgot there were four of us," Ladybug said. "But... I guess it's easier to have the Something New go off and find its user itself rather than us running around like a bunch of headless chickens trying to find her."

"Can't argue with that." Queen Bee agreed.

Further down the Seine, where there were flower boxes filled with irises, the tiara fell into the water and started to sink down. The Evillustrator was flying overhead to track it down.

Once the chaos was over, Marinette was once again walking to the studio house.

"So, are you going to do it?" Tikki asked.

"Actually, Tikki... No," Marinette admitted. "Mock wedding or not, I can't do this. It's gonna hurt Nathaniel, but I'm gonna have to tell him the truth."

"That's very mature of you, Marinette," Tikki commented. "I'm glad you know when to put your foot down."

Nooroo nodded in agreement.

She saw Nathaniel standing outside the house. The kwamis ducked.

"Marinette!" He said before running up to her. "I can't believe you actually came!"

"Y-Yeah..." Marinette began. "Listen, Nathaniel, I'm really sorry, but... I just can't do this. I don't want to hurt your feelings, but..."

"Hey, it's okay," Nathaniel said, putting a hand on her shoulder and smiling at her. "There's nothing to worry about."

"What?" Marinette questioned.

"Thing is, Adrien came by earlier and gave me a pretty thorough chewing out." Nathaniel explained.

"Wait, _Adrien?!"_ Marinette asked, confused.

"It's the strangest thing, but after that, it's like all my depression and sadness evaporated," Nathaniel continued. "I'm okay now. Thanks."

Marinette gawked.

"I'm so sorry for all of the trouble I've caused you," He apologized. "Just thank you for being so kind to me."

Nearby, the girls were hiding behind another building.

"What is he saying to her?!" Alya asked.

"No clue." Trixx began.

"What on _earth_ was that prick thinking? I know I can be a bitch, but that was _r_ _idiculous! Utterly ridiculous!_ " Chloé griped.

 _"Agreed."_ Pollen, Trixx, and Alya all said at once.

Around the corner, Adrien was sitting in the car and watching Marinette and Nathaniel. He smiled with a nod and motioned for the bodyguard to start driving.

Piano keys rang out, and Marinette turned around to where Adrien was hiding, but the car had long gone.

Once he was back home, Adrien looked out to the sunset setting over the city horizon, and he took his father's ring out of his pocket once more, looking at it curiously.

The girls were walking home with Marinette, who questioned aloud, "Adrien stopped by the house? But why?"

"Isn't it obvi, girl?" Alya asked. "He was worried about you! He came by to defend your honor!"

"Yeah, I get that, but again, why?" Marinette said.

"He _likes_ you!" Chloé teased.

"Huh?" Marinette asked, surprised.

"He's head-over-heels for you, Marinette!" Alya added.

"No way!" Marinette denied, red in the face. "There's no way he has feelings for me! Like hell he does!"

"Marinette, be a lady and call Adrien to thank him for his help!" Alya said, pulling out her phone.

"No, no, no, _NO!_ " Marinette said, shaking her hands in refusal.

"Come on, girl," Alya said. "Like the song - _give up, give in, check the grin, you're in love!_ "

"You two are fated for one another." Chloé added.

"Out of the question, girls!" Marinette said, running further away from the girls.

"If those two end up an item, we'll have an extra weapon in the war!" Chloé said. "We can win this thing!"

Marinette, hearing everything, turned to her friends and said, "Is that it?"

"Huh?" Alya asked.

"You're trying to hook me up with Adrien so we can win the war?" Marinette asked.

"Um... Yeah." Alya admitted.

"I get it," Marinette said with a smile. "Stronger love waves means we'll be stronger against the akumas."

The girls nodded, admitting to their plan.

"I know you mean well, girls, but please," Marinette said, before hugging her friends. "No schemes to get me to get together with someone without my permission!"

"Okay, girl!" Alya said, and then the girls laughed as they continued walking home for the day.

* * *

 **That's that for now! Thanks to Adrien (granted unintentionally on his end for the latter), not only is Marinette spared the mock wedding, but the girls identified the final piece of the Miraculous Something Four - the Something New! But it's acting on its own accord to find the last of their team and bring her to them!**

 **Speaking of Adrien, his ring seems to react to the Miraculous Something Four whenever it's near the items, but they aren't woken up yet. Why is that? Honestly... I'm not telling! *Laughs* Let's just say it's related to that "skeleton in the closet that even _he_ doesn't know about" that I mentioned back in chapter 9. **

**Next time on Wedding Ladybug, the girls are volunteering at a nursery school, and it seems like the only ones who know what they're doing are Alya and Marinette. But what's Nino doing there? And then trouble happens again when an akuma called the Bubbler shows up to wreak havoc!**

 **Time for another preview! Let's jump ahead to, say... episode 41.**

 **"What? You can't make it?" Alya asked as she and Nino were walking home.**

 **"Yeah," Nino confirmed. "Master Fu called for me, so I gotta go. Total bummer, too. I was looking forward to it."**

 **"It can't be helped," Alya said, sounding disappointed. "It's for the sake of angel realm."**

 **The two of them held hands and gazed at each other lovingly as they kept walking home together.**

 **Soon, the day of the ski trip came. Everyone in the group was racing down the slopes on their skis and winter gear, color-coded so everyone could tell who was who.**

 **Alya did a hockey stop on her skis as she made it down the slope. She lifted her goggles up and said, "This is _unreal!_ " **

**"This is fun!" Chloé agreed. "I'm so glad I came along!"**

 **"Winter should be all about skiing." Adrien stated.**

 **"No kidding," Marinette said. "...Hey, where's Nathaniel?"**

 **"Hey, wait!" Nathaniel shouted as he was unsteady on his skis. "It's cruel of you guys to just leave me like that!"**

 **And he soon face-planted into the snow.**


	27. WTH? Nino's Got a Crush?

**Today on Wedding Ladybug, the girls are helping at a nursery school, but compared to fighting akumas, this isn't a walk in the park (at least for Chloé). They have their work cut out for them, but there are a few questions. For example, what are Nino and Adrien doing at the nursery school, and why's the former so chummy with the teacher? And second off, why the hell is there another akuma, called the Bubbler, targeting the kids?!  
**

* * *

In the akuma realm, Evillustrator was kneeling in the throne room, reporting the developments he'd witnessed to Mayura.

"The final piece of the Miraculous Something Four?" Mayura summarized.

"Yes, _ma reine_. No question about it," Evillustrator reported, remembering exactly what happened. "Unfortunately, I lost track of it. I searched everywhere. It was like it was drawn out by the Love Angels' love waves all of a sudden."

"So the Love Angels have the Something New?" Mayura questioned.

"Not quite," Evillustrator added. "They couldn't find it, either."

"No matter," Mayura said. "You must find the Love Angels and stop them from carelessly spreading their stupid love waves."

"Understood, _ma reine_." Evillustrator stated before teleporting away.

Back in the human realm, Nathaniel was walking through the halls.

 _'Nathaniel, since you have some time outside of school, why not look around for the Love Angels?'_ Evillustrator suggested as he phased out of the boy.

"Enough," Nathaniel said, turning his face away from him. "I'm sick of hearing about them."

 _'Nathaniel, need I remind you about our contract? I-'_ The akuma began, only for him to phase back inside when they noticed someone.

There in the hall, going the other way, was Marinette.

"Marinette." He said as, in his eyes, Marinette had a halo effect and was walking the halls.

 _'Nathaniel, how many times do I have to tell you?'_ Evillustrator said. _'You're beating a dead horse, chasing after Marinette. We've already confirmed she's no Love Angel.'_

"True, but..." Nathaniel began, while narrowing his eyes and thinking, _'You stay away from Marinette, akuma.'_

Alya was in the school blog club room, working on an article.

As some of the other bloggers looked over her shoulder to read what Alya was writing.

"Nice work, Alya! That looks great!" One of the others said.

"Thanks," Alya said. "I've been doing very thorough research."

"We can always count on you for great reading for the blog!" Another one said.

Outside the room, Nathaniel was watching them, Alya in particular.

"What about her? Think she might be a Love Angel?" Nathaniel asked.

 _'I can see it,'_ Evillustrator commented. _'She's popular with her peers. So, you know her?'_

"Alya Césaire," Nathaniel explained. "Head of the school blog, and one of Marinette's best friends."

Later that day, Alya was walking home from school with an ice cream cone in her hand and licking it. She made sure to sneak Trixx a few bites.

"Damn, this strawberry ice cream's the bomb!" Alya said as she kept walking.

She heard giggling, then looked up to see a familiar face. She was a tanned, dirty blonde girl with brown eyes, about Alya's age with her long, wavy hair in a low ponytail, not unlike Belle from "Beauty and the Beast." She was wearing a teacher's uniform from a daycare that was local to the area.

Speaking of kids, she and another girl in a similar outfit were walking around, with bunches of younger kindergarten-age children surrounding them.

"Oh, Michelle!" Alya shouted. "Over here!"

"Hey, Alya!" She said as she looked up and saw her friend.

The two teachers were sitting along the banks of the Seine while watching the kids playing.

"It's a nice day out, so we decided to bring the kids out for a walk to get some air and sun for them." Michelle said.

"Probably a good call. Little kids tend to get pent-up, so letting them out is a good idea so they can let their energy loose." Alya said.

There was crying heard, and Michelle stood up and ran over to two younger boys fighting with each other, while one girl was crying, not amused about the scene.

"Alright, now calm down," Michelle said. "No fighting!"

One of the boys hugged Michelle by the legs and the girl pat his head to make him feel better.

Alya giggled and said, "Hey, if this whole journalist thing doesn't work out, maybe being a daycare teacher would be a good fallback career."

Up on the road, behind a large truck nearby, Nathaniel was watching Alya.

 _'Hm... Maybe...'_ Nathaniel thought.

He felt someone shove him by the shoulder, and then he turned around to see Chloé, who was looking at him suspiciously.

"What are you doing here, Nathaniel?" Chloé questioned, arms crossed and brow quirked.

As the redhead stammered for an answer, Chloé looked behind him and saw Alya.

"Alya?" Chloé asked before getting into Nathaniel's space, hostility in her expression. "Oh, so you're targetting Alya now?!"

"No, I'm not! I, um, gotta go!" Nathaniel said before running away from Chloé.

"Something's not right..." Chloé muttered, with Pollen peeking out and giving her owner an agreeing nod.

The next day at school, Chloé reported her findings to the others. They were still out in public at the school, so the kwamis were still hiding.

 _"Say what?!"_ Alya asked, kind of disturbed. "Nathaniel was following me?!"

"Are you sure?" Marinette asked Chloé.

"I'm positive!" Chloé insisted.

"First me, now Alya?" Marinette questioned aloud as she crossed her arms. "Nathaniel _did_ suspect me of being Ladybug, but I've managed to throw him off the trail. But that still doesn't answer the question of how the absolute _hell_ he knew the name Ladybug or about Love Angels."

"Yeah, it's pretty disturbing, considering how careful we usually are," Alya said with a shudder. "Think he's probably suspecting _me_ of being a Love Angel and that's why he was tailing me?"

"I should hope not!" Chloé stated, stomping her foot. "We've already had _way_ too many close calls, and not just with Nathaniel. Remember when we had a major fight before we even _had_ most of the Miraculous Something Four?"

The girls nodded.

"Yeah, Dark Cupid nearly caught me. And let's not forget that time we had to rescue Adrien from him and Marinette had to have Carapace erase his memories." Alya stated.

"I remember," Marinette began. "Bottom line: the identity barrier that protects us can only do so much. We need to be a bit more discreet about this, especially in the school or in public."

Everyone gave an agreeing nod.

"Changing the subject..." Alya began.

"What, Michelle?" Marinette asked.

"Yeah, she's a volunteer daycare teacher," Alya said. "She and I became friends when we were taking our babysitting courses together."

"I see." Chloé said.

"Volunteer work is all fine and good, but Michelle wants to be a real nursery school teacher someday," Alya said. "And I'm sure she isn't the only one."

"I don't know about me," Marinette said in uncertainty. "I've always been into fashion, so I don't see myself being a teacher other than for fashion schools."

"Ugh, I've got like _no_ patience for little kids," Chloé added. "Alya, tell me why we're volunteering at this place this weekend?"

"Michelle's gonna be shorthanded because one of the other teachers has a family emergency, so she needs some backup." Alya explained.

"I have experience babysitting, so I could probably help out." Marinette said.

"Fine, but you two had better help me out with this." Chloé scoffed.

That weekend, the girls were all at the nursery school led by Michelle.

"Kids, today we have three older sisters here to help us out," Michelle said, introducing the girls. "So be nice to them!"

"It's nice to meet you all." Marinette said.

"I can't wait to play." Alya said.

Chloé was silent, the kids cheered.

One little girl was playing with a teddy bear and was saying, "Baba is my best friend ever!"

Marinette crouched down and looked at the bear, and she said, "Hi there. May I look at your toy?"

"Okay, but be careful with Baba," She said before reluctantly handed the teddy bear to Marinette. "He's my friend."

"And a very good friend, I'm sure," Marinette said as she examined the teddy bear. "...Does Baba like playing dress-up?"

The little girl lit up in delight and said, "He does!"

"Well, maybe I can make some new clothes for him." Marinette said as she took out her sewing kit (she insisted on bringing it with her wherever she went) and started taking measurements on the teddy bear.

The young girl was giggling in delight as she watched Marinette measure and design the clothes for the little toy.

Chloé wasn't having such luck. She was trying her best to be nice to the kids, but it wasn't easy.

"Big sister, watch this karate move!" One little boy said.

"Uh, karate?!" Chloé asked as the boy jumped at her with his arms in an "X" shape. He tackled her to the ground, and she hit the back of her head.

The boy laughed at Chloé as he got off her, teasing her about his attack.

"Hey! What do you think you're doing, attacking me without warning like that?!" Chloé barked as she sat up.

But then another little boy tackled Chloé and sent her rolling on the floor. The boys started laughing at Chloé's misfortune.

"I _swear_ I'll get daddy to shut this place down if you little brats make me any angrier than I already am...!" Chloé muttered under her breath.

She heard quiet laughter from behind her and she turned around to see Nooroo laughing.

"Lady Chloé, letting small children walk all over her! This is hilarious!" Nooroo laughed.

"Hey, why don't _you_ give it a try if you think it's so funny?!" Chloé asked rhetorically while pointing at the kwami.

The squeals of little girls rang out as two of the little ones ran over, squealing over how adorable Nooroo was. They started pulling and stretching him without any knowledge he was a living, breathing creature.

"Hey, stop!" Nooroo cried. More kids crowded around and began playing with the poor kwami. "Enough! Stop it, please!"

Seeing the kids were taken with Nooroo, Chloé stood up and haughtily said, "Well, I'll leave the kids to you, since you _clearly_ have it under control."

She started walking away with a satisfied, smug smile on her face, meanwhile Nooroo shouted, "Hey! Don't leave me here!"

One little boy was walking out the door to the hallway of the school. Marinette saw this, ran over to him from behind, picked him up and turned him around while saying, "You can't go that way."

She set him down in the room and let him continue walking, and she breathed a sigh of relief before saying, "Good..."

But then the little guy tripped and fell flat on his stomach and face. In pain, he continued crying and Marinette ran over to help him stand up.

"Don't cry. You're okay," Marinette said. "Oh, does this help?"

She started tickling the little boy's tummy, and he started laughing in delight, the pain of falling down easily forgotten. Marinette started laughing along with the tyke.

Over with Alya, she'd been called over to the diaper-changing station. She just finished wrapping the diaper on one boy, and she said, "Done!"

She stood up him up and the diaper was snug on the little one. He cooed happily.

Back in the main classroom, several of the kids were crying and screaming, and the girls were scrambling around, trying to calm them down. In terms of success, Alya was top dog (or rather, fox), Marinette was an _extremely_ close second, and Chloé was a _VERY_ distant third.

"Ugh, this is the pits! The more they cry, the more they make _ME_ want to cry! This is _ridiculous, utterly ridiculous!_ " Chloé complained as not a single child came close to her. "How is it that this isn't such a big deal for you two?"

"Experience," Alya said easily as she calmed one girl down by pretending she was some fantasy creature. "I've been babysitting my little twin sisters for ages, so I know how to handle little angels. And I've been giving Marinette tips and lessons, too."

"Yeah, it really helps when I babysit, too." Marinette added as she was brushing the hair of another little girl.

"You make this look easy, Michelle," Chloé griped. "Is it always this hard looking after little kids?"

"Yeah, they all seem to be under the impression that they're royal babies or something," Michelle stated. "But the minute they smile at you, they're angels again."

Michelle giggled at one little girl and then she hugged her.

Chloé tried to say something and she said to one little boy, "What's up, kid?"

But her facial expression wasn't that friendly and it only scared the boy, and he started screaming, _"AAAH! MONSTER! THIS SISTER IS SCARY!"_

Chloé was about to snap, thinking, _'UGH, fighting off akumas is easier than THIS!'_

Marinette and Alya nearly laughed at Chloé's misfortune, but then something occurred to them.

"Uh-oh! Where's Nooroo?!" Marinette asked.

"No idea." Alya asked.

The girls stopped what they were doing and ran over to see two little girls washing their hands in the classroom hand sink.

"Um, excuse me," Marinette said as she kneeled down to talk to the girls. "Have you seen Nooroo?"

"He was dirty, so we decided we should give him a bath." One girl said as she pointed out to the hallway... where the washing machines were.

"Ack!" Marinette shouted as she and Alya ran out to the washing machines. Marinette threw open the door of the front-load washer only to see that it was empty.

"Dang it! Nooroo! Nooroo?!" Alya shouted.

"Over here!" Nooroo shouted from the dryer machine that was right next to the washer.

The poor kwami was being tossed around like a ball, bouncing around inside the drum. He was dizzy, and the clothes were knocking him everywhere.

 _"Lady Alya! Lady Marinette! Help!"_ Nooroo shouted.

"Hang on, Nooroo!" Tikki shouted as she and Trixx came out of hiding and flew into the drier to save Nooroo. In a few seconds, with a few shouts, Tikki and Trixx phased back out, each holding Nooroo by one arm.

"Oh, dear!" Marinette said as she took the purple kwami into her hands. "You okay?"

"I'll b-b-be f-f-fine..." Nooroo said, still dizzy.

Back in the classroom, two of the little girls from earlier were beginning to get into an argument.

"It's my turn!" "No, my turn!"

The little ones were starting to fight with each other.

"Hey, stop!" Chloé pleaded as she tried to placate the little ones. "No fighting!"

She put a hand to her head and she griped, " _NOT_ how I want to spend a Saturday... Why couldn't Alya have suggested a shopping trip at the mall instead?!"

"Yo, anyone here, dude?" A familiar voice said.

"Huh?" Chloé asked.

"Didn't that sound like...?" Alya asked.

Outside the door was _Nino_ , who was carrying a box from the Dupain-Cheng bakery.

 _"Nino?!"_ Marinette asked.

"Hello?" Nino asked aloud, and Michelle came out.

"Oh, hi there!" Michelle said.

"I came by to say thanks." Nino said.

"What in the absolute _hell_ is _NINO_ of all people doing here?" Chloé asked. She and the others were poking their heads outside the classroom as they watched Nino and Michelle.

"Maybe he's here to help out with the kids, too?" Marinette suggested. "He _does_ have a younger brother."

"You might have a point, Marinette." Alya said.

The girls were watching Nino and Michelle eating some of the cupcakes from the Dupain-Cheng bakery and talking.

"No way!" Michelle said.

"Yes way, dudette." Nino said.

"Don't those two seem close?" Alya asked.

"Yeah, but this is Nino we're talking about," Chloé said. "He's good with people in general."

"True," Marinette said. "It's not like there's anything going on... Wait, hold on!"

"Marinette, quiet down!" Alya said.

"Sorry," Marinette said. "But I seem to remember seeing Nino sharing an umbrella with a girl."

"An umbrella?" Alya asked.

"Yeah." Marinette said.

 _~Flashback - Last Week~_

 _Marinette was walking through the streets to get home to the bakery. She'd just stopped by the fabric store to pick up a few things to work on a new project. She had her shopping bag in one hand and her umbrella in the other._

 _"Hey Marinette!" Tikki said, poking her head out of the bag. "Isn't that Nino over there?"_

 _"Nino?" Marinette asked as she followed Tikki's line of sight. Across the street, she saw Nino standing under an umbrella with Michelle. "Oh, that's Nino all right. But I don't see what the big deal is."_

 _Marinette just went on her way, minding her own business._

 _~End of Flashback~_

"Yep, I'm sure it was Nino," Marinette confirmed. "But it wasn't any business of mine, so I just left well enough alone."

"It's most likely nothing," Tikki said. "For all we know, Michelle could've just noticed Nino was without an umbrella at random and just wanted to help."

"You're probably right." Trixx agreed, with Pollen nodding along.

"Lady Chloé!" Nooroo shouted as he flew over to the girls. "Kinsey's crying!"

"Well, what are you doing _here?_ " Chloé asked. "Get back there and get him to stop."

"Chloé!" Marinette scolded as she took Nooroo into her hands. "The kids are _our_ responsibility, not Nooroo's."

"Marinette's right," Alya said. "Now let's stop snooping around and get back to them."

The girls hid their kwamis and started to stand back up.

"Hey there." A voice said, getting the girls' attention.

 _"Adrien?"_ Marinette asked.

"What are you doing here at the school?" Adrien asked with a smile.

"We could ask you the same thing." Marinette said as she glanced at her bag. Nooroo and Tikki were out of sight.

"The mansion is nearby and I had a photoshoot earlier," Adrien explained. "So, what's..."

He noticed what was going on through the window.

"Oh. Nino and a girl?" Adrien asked.

"Any ideas what might be going on between them?" Alya questioned.

"I'm afraid I have no idea," Adrien said. "I don't see Nino hanging out with girls very often. He just doesn't seem the type."

"I can see that," Marinette agreed. "It doesn't seem like him."

Back in the classroom, the kids were crying _again_.

"Ugh, they're _still_ at it! Now I know how others felt when _I_ threw fits like this." Chloé complained.

"About time she learned..." Alya offhandedly muttered as she rubbed a boy's head. Marinette had a little girl in her arms, but she was laughing.

"Hey dudettes," Nino said as he came into the room. Adrien was with him. "I hear you're helping out Michelle here. Totally cool, girls."

One little boy came up to Nino and was waving his rattle around. Nino knelt down and started playing with the kid, smiling.

"Nino's pretty good with kids," Marinette said to Alya. "No surprise there."

"Still doesn't answer why he's here with Michelle," Alya replied. "And maybe if we do good enough with the kids, we might get the scoop!"

"Alya, can't you just leave well enough alone?" Marinette questioned.

"Of course not," Alya said. "Let's get to it!"

"Count me in," Chloé added. "Let's show them how much these kids love us!"

Nooroo, who'd taken to hiding in Chloé's bag with Pollen, quietly said to the blonde, "But they actually have to _like_ you first, Lady Chloé."

Pollen tried to hold back a giggle.

Chloé turned to her bag and glared at the two kwamis, and with an angry glare, she told the kwami, "Shut your trap, you little...!"

Pollen immediately signaled her owner to quiet down, lest she draw attention to the kwamis. Chloé got the hint.

Marinette and Alya were still playing with the kids, and they were having an easy time interacting with them. Marinette was making a bow to put in a girl's hair while Alya was telling a scary story to a boy who was watching and listening with rapt enthusiasm.

Chloé was glaring at the girls, only to smell something. She looked at the baby she was working with and saw the diaper was discolored. She pulled a disgusted face.

"Ew..." Chloé complained. "Ugh, fine, I'll do it!"

She picked the kid up and ran to the diaper changing station, before ripping the thing off. She nearly threw up at the smell and tossed the thing in the trash.

"Okay... Now to-AH!" Chloé began, only to scream as she saw the baby peed and was shooting his urine at her face. She dodged and growled at the giggling tyke.

"Why you...!" Chloé griped.

In the common area for the teachers, Michelle was washing her hands.

Alya came in and said, "Hey, Michelle."

"Hi, Alya," Michelle siad, drying her hands. "What's up?"

"So, Nino..." Alya began, a mischievous smile on her face. "He's a pretty nice guy, huh?"

"Yep." Michelle agreed.

"So, indulge this journalist," Alya said. "What exactly is going on between you and Nino?"

Chloé was watching from the entryway, saying, "That's the way. Get that info, Alya!"

"Well..." Michelle began.

"Head teacher!" A little one said as she ran into the room.

Michelle followed the little one out of the room to go back into the classroom.

Back with the kids, Marinette was with the rest of the girls and they reported what they found.

"Isn't it just a matter of actually _asking_ Nino what's going on?" Marinette questioned.

"She's right," Alya said. "Changing the subject, don't you think this is good practice for the future?"

"What do you mean?" Chloé asked.

"For when or even if _we_ get married and have kids with our husbands," Alya elaborated. "I can imagine it, now... I'm married to Carapace and we have a little angel girl named Aretha!"

Her imagination showed her and Carapace, ten years later, with a little baby girl in the former's arms. She resembled her mother quite a bit.

"Ooh, that sounds so adorable!" Marinette said, and then _her_ imagination started running. "Then there will be me and Luka with a cute son of our own, named Hugo..."

Marinette's imagination went amok and she imagined herself ten years down the line, with a baby boy in her arms. But when Marinette turned around, she saw that her husband wasn't Luka at all, but Adrien, who was smiling kindly at both her and the kid, and he seemed _happy_.

 _"HUH?!"_ Marinette said, blushing red in the face. "What the heck's _Adrien_ doing here?!"

She started looking back and forth between the baby in her arms and Adrien next to her.

"Is this supposed to be _our_ son?!" Marinette began, almost freaking out.

She snapped out of her imagination and while ladybug-red in the face, she said, "Oh no! No way! Not with Adrien! Never!"

"Not _what_ with me?" Adrien asked as he came over to Marinette. He had a boy on his back.

"Oh, um, never mind!" Marinette said, blushing and waving her hands.

"Never mind _what,_ exactly?" Adrien questioned again.

Michelle came back in and said, "Snacktime, kids! Go wash your hands!"

The kids babbled in delight before running out of the room to go to the bathroom.

"See what I mean?" Michelle said to Chloé. "Angels when they're happy."

"Ugh, I guess so... Now I understand why people have so little patience with _me_." Chloé admitted.

Outside the school, Nathaniel was standing at the gate.

 _'I can feel the love waves!'_ Evillustrator stated. _'Okay, Nathaniel. We're going to make things really interesting around here.'_

"What are you, nuts?!" Nathaniel protested. "Don't you know where we are?! This is a nursery school! There's _little children_ here!"

 _'I_ really _don't care about that right now.'_ Evillustrator argued gently.

Nathaniel crossed his arms and turned his back, stating, "You can't be serious! Getting innocent kids involved?! How much lower can you sink?!"

 _'Don't worry. Just follow my directions to the letter and there won't be any problem,'_ Evillustrator said from inside. _'And don't forget about the contract.'_

"You know, I wish I'd _never_ let you trick me into signing that damned contract!" Nathaniel near-shouted.

The Evillustrator flew out of Nathaniel's body and sat on a nearby tree branch.

"Nathaniel, I _did_ tempt you with the contract, but didn't have the strength of character to resist the temptation," Evillustrator explained. "You made the deal, and you need to be responsible for it."

Nathaniel growled, frustrated with the fact that what the Evillstrator was saying rang way too true.

The Evillustrator started drawing something on his tablet and said, "Bubbler, I need your help."

Out of the tablet, in a blast of energy, came a boy that resembled Nino, but he was blue-skinned and had red and yellow features, including a giant bubble sword.

"Bubbler, go and wreak havoc on the kids!" Evillustrator instructed.

"Okay, dude!" The Bubbler said before flying to the window. Nathaniel could only look on in worry.

The Bubbler flew up to one of the upper floors of the building, and found one of the babies through one of the open windows. He was awake, cooing and babbling cutely.

The Bubbler came in and said, "Wanna come out and play, lil' dude?"

He fired a small, green bubble out of his sword and contained the baby in it. The bubble began to float, but instead of being scared, the child started laughing and giggling, like the situation was some game.

The Bubbler said, "Come on!"

He slowly flew out the window, the bubble following suit.

In the hallways, Alya was walking around when Nooroo flew up in fear.

"Lady Alya!" Nooroo shouted. "We've got a problem! Logan's gone!"

"What?" Alya said.

Alya ran ahead, then burst into the room where she'd left the baby boy earlier. She gasped when she saw the bed was empty.

"Crap! He's missing!" Alya gasped, and Trixx looked on, worried. "He was sleeping _right here!_ "

The kwamis, Marinette and Chloé dashed in, and Marinette said, "Nooroo told us what's going on! Logan's missing?!"

"What do we do?!" Chloé cried.

"I don't know, my queen!" Pollen admitted.

Marinette then noticed something outside, and ran to the window.

"Out there!" Marinette said, pointing to the Bubbler, who still had Logan in his bubble.

"No! The Bubbler!" Nooroo cried.

The Bubbler was chuckling while looking at the innocent kid, who was still laughing and smiling without a care in the world.

"We can't let these tykes fall into the akumas' hands!" Alya said.

The trio went into a mental shift.

 _"Lucky Wedding Flower!" "Cunning Wedding Flower!" "Growing Wedding Flower!"_

 _"Bridal Change Go! Wedding Dress Transform!" "Angel Creation Ladybug!" "Angel Illusion Rena Rouge!" "Angel Subjection Queen Bee!"_

The girls used their tools to get out the window (while Rena just jumped), and then they jumped onto the next roof over.

But the Bubbler didn't hesitate. He swung his bubble sword and fired bubbles at the girls. They were each trapped in their own individual bubble prisons.

"Hey, what's going on?!" Rena asked.

"Let us out, you little...!" Queen Bee demanded as she tried using the tip of her top to pop the bubble.

But instead, it was like the bubble stretched at the pressure before forcing the top back. It ricochetted inside the bubble before hitting Queen Bee in the head, and she fell into the bottom of the bubble.

"Ow!" Queen Bee whined.

The Bubbler smirked before moving his sword around. The bubbles trapping the girls started floating around at his will, shaking them up.

When they stopped, the girls were dizzy and shaking from the movement.

"He-He-He's making the bubbles move!" Ladybug stammered.

"That's right! The Bubbler can trap anyone and anything into his bubbles and blow them around! Even the three of you!" Nooroo informed.

The Bubbler laughed before moving his sword again, and this time he was blowing the girls' bubbles around as if they were a bunch of pinballs. He made the bubbles bump into each other, forcing the girls to bump around inside the bubbles.

One wave of the sword forced Rena and Ladybug to slam into each other, and the next one forced Queen Bee to slam into her friends and knock the others around like they were playing pool. But then the Bubbler forced all three bubbles to slam into each other.

"Ugh... We gotta stop him!" Rena said, dizzy.

Meanwhile, Nathaniel was running. Running away from the nursery school.

 _'Nathaniel, what are you doing?! Go back!'_ The Evillustrator said from inside. _'The Love Angels are gonna show up and stop the Bubbler! You gotta take this chance to figure out who they are!'_

"No!" Nathaniel stated as he kept running.

 _'Excuse me?'_ The Evillustrator questioned.

"I'm not helping you anymore, understand? I'm finished with you and all of this crap!" Nathaniel stated.

 _'Now hang on! You can't just do that! We have a contract-'_ Evillustrator argued.

 _"SCREW THE CONTRACT!"_ Nathaniel hollered as he kept running away.

 _'Nathaniel! No!'_ Evillustrator pleaded.

Meanwhile, the angels were still being bumped around in mid-air like they were just a bunch of pinballs.

"Ugh... What are we, toys to him? He's just playing games with us!" Rena Rouge complained.

"Then let's get serious and go all the way to stop him!" Ladybug stated. "Queen Bee! Go!"

"Got it!" Queen Bee said before activating her Miraculous Something Blue and summoning her baton.

 _"Bride's Bashfulness!"_ Queen Bee shouted as she spun her baton. _"Marriage Announcement - Honey Star Shower!"_

The bee lights were fired out of the baton and they popped her bubbls. Using her top, she hung on to a tree branch to keep her from falling. The lights flew towards the other two bubbles, freeing the angels.

They landed on the roof, and Ladybug directed, "Rena Rouge, you're up!"

"On it!" Rena Rouge said before activating the Miraculous Something Borrowed and getting her wand.

 _"Love's Tribute Candle!"_ Rena Rouge called, firing her fox tail lights. _"Miraculous Fantasies!"_

The fox lights caused the Bubbler to spin as if something blew out and he was screaming like he was being thrown around in the air.

"Go for it, LB!" Rena Rouge said, and Ladybug activated the Miraculous Something Old.

She took out the Lady's Crystal and shouted, _"Lady's Crystal!"_

The Bubbler fired more bubbles, but Ladybug absorbed the bubbles into the crystal.

 _"Engagement Present!"_ Ladybug shouted as she charged the crystal _"Lady's Crystal, L'amour Pour Vous!"_

She fired the love waves, and they bathed the Bubbler. His expression went from harsh to happy, and then he said, "Thanks for the love waves, dudette! From now on, bubbles are for bliss and joy!"

He then flew into the sky in a burst of white sparkles.

But once he was gone, the bubble carrying the baby popped, and he started falling.

 _"ACK!"_ The girls screamed.

"I've got him!" Queen Bee shouted as she dove off the roof, tied her top string around her waist and used her top to act as a pulley so she'd be safe, and she caught the boy in both hands.

"Whew..." The others said, relieved. "Nice catch, Queen Bee."

"Thanks." Queen Bee replied.

One Miraculous Ladybug cure later, and the girls had changed back before going inside the building. Marinette had the baby in her arms.

"Where did you three get to?" Michelle asked as she was playing with one of the kids.

"Oh, nowhere, just playing with Logan outside," Marinette said. "Nothing too crazy.

"Wedybugaah-" Logan began, but Marinette quietly hushed him.

Chloé saw Nino was playing with one of the kids while sitting next to Michelle.

"So Nino," Chloé said as she approached. "What's going on between you and Michelle?"

"Oh, Michelle lent me her umbrella the other day," Nino explained. "She was out with her boyfriend that day while it was raining."

"Yep!" Michelle confirmed.

 _"My boyfriend and I were on our way home from a date when we saw Nino without an umbrella." Michelle narrated as she and her boyfriend were walking through the streets._

 _They saw Nino was standing under the awning of one shop and was looking up to the sky._

 _"So, he told me to lend my umbrella to Nino while the two of us shared." Michelle explained._

 _The sequence showed Michelle handing her umbrella to Nino, and they were smiling._

"Isn't my beau a sweetie?" Michelle gushed.

"Yep, he's a stand-up guy," Nino agreed. "So, I came by to give her the umbrella back and say thanks."

"I _knew_ it was nothing," Marinette said with a smile. "Satisfied, Alya?"

"Yeah, I am." Alya laughed.

"Maybe if we'd known she was seeing someone, maybe we would've just been able to let it go sooner." Marinette said.

Later, Nino was outside the nursery school, but this time it was raining again.

"Hey Nino," Alya said as she approached. "So, it's raining again. Wanna share the umbrella?"

"Oh, thanks Alya," Nino said. "But I've got it covered."

"Nino!" Adrien said, coming over. "Nino forgot his umbrella again, but I just happened to have one in the car, so I got it out so he could borrow it. Then I'm gonna give him a lift home."

"I see..." Alya said awkwardly as she watched Nino and Adrien leave. She turned to her friends. _"WHY_ did you goad me into this?!"

"Come on, we all see the sparks between you two," Chloé teased. "Besides, think of this as good old-fashioned payback for the times you've pressured one of us into doing something we weren't 100% on board with."

"Alright, fine." Alya said.

"Wedybug!" Logan said, babbling from behind. "Cwysaw pawa!"

 _"ACK!"_ The girls shouted as they ran to the baby to get him to quiet down.

"Hey, hey, quiet down, baby," Alya said. "Nothing about Love Angels or anything like that, okay?"

"Wav angews!" Logan said.

"Oh _no!_ " Tikki said from her hiding spot.

"How are we going to silence this one?" Trixx asked from _her_ hiding area.

"Indeed." Pollen agreed.

Nooroo sighed.

The girls were scrambling to silence the kid, but it was almost no use...

* * *

 **Alright, that's that for this one! Whew, that was crazy. And it looks like Nate's had enough of his literal deal with the devil.**

 **Coming up, Adrien enlists the girls to help his fencing teammate, Ivan, get together with his crush, Myléne. But this isn't without a lot of teasing, akuma trouble, _and_ once again getting tailed by Nathaniel.**

 **Now, instead of a preview, I have some news: I've decided to cross-post some if not all of my ML stories onto AO3! I've been hearing that that platform has stories that tend to get more attention, comment moderation is better, and honestly, I've been hanging around reading stories from there more often than here on FF as of late. So, hope to see your support on AO3!**

 **And everyone be careful with COVID-19 - Wash your hands frequently, stay in your house if you feel sick, make sure you have enough food/medicine/supplies in your home for a minimum of two weeks, and make sure to cough/sneeze in your elbow and THEN wash your hands again!**


	28. Girls are Strongest When They're In Love

**Alright, time for the next installment of "Wedding Ladybug!" Today, the girls are taking their roles as Love Angels a little more literally when Adrien of all people asks the girls to help his teammate, Ivan Bruel, get together with his crush, Mylène Haprèle.**

 **So the girls help out by first giving Mylène a makeover, but getting the girl together with gentle giant Ivan won't be without its own obstacles - Not the least of which being Nathaniel tailing them and mistaking Mylène for a Love Angel!**

* * *

Out in the schoolyard one day, Marinette and the girls were watching the fencing team at work, and there were several girls on the sidelines.

"Why are we here?" Marinette asked.

"Come on girl," Alya said. "So you can watch Adrien at work."

"You told me that we were trying to research sports fashion for the blog." Marinette said, blushing.

One taller boy, who was a bit on the portly side, was charging forward with his saber towards Adrien. But Adrien's smaller build and extra experience allowed him to maneuver more nimbly. The larger guy tried to touch Adrien with the tip of the saber, but Adrien ducked and gently touched him with his own saber.

But the larger boy was so big that he wound up falling over onto his stomach. Adrien stood up and lifted his fencing mask, looking at his opponent with a smile. The boy lifted his own mask to reveal he had a bit of a grumpy scowl on his face, freckles, a tuft of blonde hair on his forehead. He didn't look very happy. It took a little bit, but he stood up.

"Adrien's good, isn't he?" Alya asked.

"He sure is!" Marinette said. Realizing what she said, blushed a bit before shaking her head and trying to backpedal, "Um, no! I mean, yeah, Adrien's their star player, but the entire fencing team is great! And wasn't like Ivan was up against an easy opponent."

A short, rather chunky girl around the girls' age with curly-ish blonde hair, with long bangs over her eyes, and wasn't wearing very flattering clothes. She overheard what Marinette was saying and she blushed a bit before looking down.

"Yeah, speaking of Ivan, the poor guy hasn't been fencing very well lately." Alya pointed out.

"Hey Ivan! Don't give up! You're a good fencer, just keep going!" Marinette shouted in encouragement.

Hearing Marinette's words, he gave a brief smile.

"Your encouragement is nice, Mariboo." Adrien said.

Ivan sighed grumpily before standing up.

Adrien came over to Ivan and said, "Don't worry. You were doing a good job."

Ivan growled a little and looked away before walking over to the bench to take a break. He was chugging down some water from a large water bottle he brought.

The blonde girl walked over to him and asked, "Hi, Ivan. Are you feeling okay?"

Ivan looked at the girl a little awkwardly before gruffly saying, "I'm okay, Mylène."

Ivan, a little pink in the face, got off the bench and walked back on to the field, leaving Mylène pink-faced.

Adrien saw the exchange and with a smile and chuckle, he said, "Oh, _now_ I get it..."

 _"ADRIEN!"_ Nino shouted.

"Huh? AH!" Adrien shouted before he saw one of the others charge at him. He tried to put his mask back down, but he was hit in the face and knocked down.

"Ouch... That's gotta hurt." Marinette said with a wince.

Up in the building, Nathaniel had a pair of binoculars and was watching Marinette through the window. He also had his sketchbook out in his lap and was drawing out more profiles of Marinette.

"Marinette's _so_ beautiful..." Nathaniel all but swooned. He dropped his pencil when he started groaning.

The Evillustrator came out, giving Nathaniel an annoyed look. He sighed before saying, "You're hopeless. You're wasting your time staring at that Marinette when your job is find the Love Angels."

"I _am_ looking for them," Nathaniel said tersely. "I just need a little break right now."

"Ugh, fine," Evillustrator conceded. "But I'm _sure_ that the Love Angels are here at this school. Once you're done, start looking for them, please."

"I got it, I got it." Nathaniel said, getting frustrated.

"I don't think I need to reiterate, but we have a contract." Evillustrator said gently before drawing out a portal and leaving.

"Damn it..." Nathaniel quietly griped as he looked at the thumb ring.

He once saw this as a ticket to glory, but now all he was seeing was a tiny chain that bound him to dangerous and cruel behaviors that he couldn't help but condemn.

Once the fencing practice wrapped up, Nathaniel started walking around the halls.

"Love Angels, Love Angels..." Nathaniel muttered, only to realize he'd stumbled right in front of the door to the fashion club.

He blushed and asked, "Hey, if I remember right, Marinette's in the fashion club..."

"What kind of favor?" Nathaniel heard Marinette ask from inside the room.

He immediately dashed to the door and put his ear to it to listen in.

"Every time Mylène comes to fencing practice, Ivan gets all flustered and he winds up missing his targets, completely falling flat on his face, or both." Adrien explained while smiling.

The girls laughed at the notion, and then Marinette said, "Because Ivan likes Mylène and wants to show off to her or something?"

"Exactly." Adrien said, chuckling.

"Aw, Ivan and Mylène? How cute!" Marinette gushed. "I've been noticing those two have vibes between them."

"Seriously?" Chloé commented. "Those two have been close for years, but they're _still_ not dating? They need to get over themselves!"

"It's not that simple, Chloé," Alya said. "Sometimes people get shy or their body language betrays what they're thinking and feeling. Then they freak out and start giving off the wrong vibes to recover from it."

"Yeah," Adrien said. "And then it starts making it look like two people can't stand each other when that really isn't the case."

"Like how you and Marinette act with each other?" Alya teased with a big smile.

At that comment, but Marinette and Adrien blushed, their eyes wide.

"What?! Me and Marinette?!" Adrien said in embarrassment, waving his hands in denial with a tense look on his face. "No way! Marinette's just a friend! Beyond that, I don't feel a thing!"

"Fine by me," Marinette said angrily, turning her face away and crossing her arms. "I'm into guitarists anyway! Otherwise I wouldn't date you even if we were the last two people on the planet!"

Adrien was looking at the young designer with an awkward, red face.

 _'Excellent, Marinette, excellent!'_ Nathaniel thought, smirking in wicked triumph while listening to the banter and arguing inside the room. _'I'm a much better man for you than Adrien ever will be! That goes double for Luka!'_

"Whatever, that isn't the point," Adrien said, shaking off the heat. "Listen, could you please help Ivan get back to normal? Think you could set him and Mylène up and get them to start going out together?"

"Count on me," Alya said, standing up. "If it's gonna speed things up between them, I'll help out."

"I will too," Marinette said. "I want Mylène and Ivan to be happy together. If they like each other, then let's just give them a gentle push in the right direction."

"Then what are we standing around here for?" Chloé said, standing up from her chair. "Let's play Cupid! God of Love!"

The girls looked at each other and smiled.

 _'Cupid? Last time I checked, that's the Roman name of Eros, the Greek God of Love. Maybe Eros is an angel?'_ Nathaniel thought.

"Anyway, let's get going and find Mylène!" Marinette said from inside.

Nathaniel quietly panicked before dashing away from the door to hide.

The door opened and Adrien walked out of it, saying, "Thanks, girls. I'm leaving it to you. I'll go find Ivan."

"No problem, Adrien," Marinette said. "Come on, let's go!"

The girls dashed past a utility cabinet, unaware that Nathaniel was hiding in it. He said, "I'd better follow them."

He quietly came out of the cabinet and went to tail them.

Mylène was in a classroom, working on a protest sign. The mayor came up with a stupid program to send all of Paris's garbage up to outer space. And she, along with several other people, were going to go to the Hôtel de Ville to protest the nonsense.

 _"Mylène!"_ Marinette said from outside. "Are you in here?"

Mylène put the sign away in a near-panic.

The door opened and the girls came in.

"Hey, Mylène," Marinette said. "Sorry to bother you."

"What's new?" Alya asked.

"You working on something?" Chloé parroted.

"It's no problem," Mylène said. "I was stuck on what to add to this sign anyway."

The girls came closer to Mylène.

"Sorry for the interruption, Mylène," Marinette said. "But... we need to ask you something."

"Ask away." Mylène said.

"You like Ivan Bruel, don't you?" Chloé said, cutting right to the chase.

Mylène blushed.

"No need to say anything," Alya said. "Your face says it all."

"Then there's no problem," Marinette said. "We heard from a normally credible source that your feelings for Ivan are mutual."

"So why are you being such a mouse?" Chloé said, trying to be encouraging. "Go get him! Tell him how you feel."

"Yeah, it'll be easy with us helping." Alya added.

"...I can't." Mylene admitted.

"Why not?" Chloé asked. "The two of you clearly like each other!"

"It's... Kind of pointless." Mylène said before running out of the room.

"Hey! Mylène!" Marinette shouted after her, and she saw that Mylène dropped something.

"Maybe we were pushing too far?" Chloé asked.

 _"Ya think?"_ Alya and the hidden kwamis (sans Pollen) said.

Marinette walked over to the item that Mylène dropped, and she picked it up.

"Hey, check this out!" Marinette said. The girls came over and saw that Marinette was holding a purple pin with two crossed bones on it. "It's a Zombie Skull Crushers pin."

"How is that relevant?" Chloé asked.

"The Zombie Skull Crushers are Ivan's _favorite_ band!" Alya said. "If Mylène has it..."

"Maybe you _were_ pushing Mylène a little too much," Trixx stated to the girls. "She's the shy type, isn't she?"

"Yeah," Marinette said. "I'll go after her."

Marinette ran out of the room to follow Mylène. But she didn't notice Nathaniel was hiding behind one of the potted plants in the hallway.

"Marinette..." He murmured before quietly tailing her.

Outside the school, Mylène was walking away, and Marinette was following her.

"Mylène!" Marinette shouted as she caught up to her. "Mylène, I'm sorry."

"You meant well, Marinette." Mylene said.

"...You dropped your Zombie Skull Crushers pin," Marinette said, and both girls stopped walking. "That's Ivan's favorite band. The fact that you're keeping it really means that pin, and Ivan by extension, mean so much to you."

Mylène gave a shy smile and said, "Thanks."

"You _really_ should tell Ivan how you feel." Marinette said.

"I really don't know if he feels the same way about me," Mylène admitted. "You and the others are beautiful. Compared to me..."

"Oh, come on, Mylène," Marinette said. "Ivan's not the type to care about appearances. But just to help you with your confidence, let me help."

"Help? Help how?" Mylène asked.

"Follow me!" Marinette said before grabbing Mylène's wrist and dragging her away and through the shopping district in Paris.

"Hey, where are we going?" Mylène asked.

"We're going to help give you a makeover!" Marinette said, turning her head back to her. "So, first thing's first: let's give an upgrade to that hairstyle of yours!"

As they kept going, they once again didn't notice that Nathaniel was tailing them.

He looked out from his hiding spot and mumbled, "Sweet Marinette..."

Marinette put Mylène in the chair at the hair salon and she told the hairdresser, "Let's jazz her hair up a bit! I'm thinking dreadlocks with some color in them. You?"

"I think that's a great idea!" The hairdresser said before going to work.

In a matter of an hour or so, with every snip or coloring of Mylène's hair, she soon stood up and looked at herself in the mirror. Her hair was now in dreadlocks and there were strands that were dyed green, blue, and magenta. And it was now held back by a pink headband, revealing her brown eyes.

"Th... This is me?!" Mylène asked herself.

"Sure is!" Marinette said.

Sitting in one of the chairs and reading a magazine was Nathaniel, who was still spying on them. He lowered his magazine and he said, "I don't remember a girl looking like that at school..."

But he noticed something in the mirror: his hair had turned into the shape of the ball end of a morning star weapon, and the spikes were dyed purple to compliment his red hair.

"Wha-huh?!" Nathaniel squawked.

"Oh, you look _fabulous!_ " The male hairdresser said, who was _clearly_ getting too excited about his work on Nathaniel's hair.

When the girls stepped outside, Mylène was looking at the setting sun in joy.

"Like it, Mylène?" Marinette asked.

"No, I _LOVE_ it!" Mylène said. "Can you help me take things to the next level?"

"Say no more," Marinette said as she took her phone out. "I'll call Chloé, and we'll help you get a wardrobe upgrade!"

Marinette soon brought Mylène with her to Chloé's bedroom at the hotel. Marinette provided some handmade clothes and accessories for Mylène, just in her size.

She was wearing a dress that Marinette made for her, and it was forest green with a few pins and buttons.

"Wow, you look great, Mylène!" Alya said.

"Like a totally different person! Those clothes suit you perfectly!" Chloé added. "Naturally, Marinette knows what she's doing."

"Thanks," Marinette said. "But that dress isn't the only thing I have. Thinking what I'm thinking, girls?"

 _"FASHION SHOW!"_ The trio sang.

The girls were soon dressing Mylène up in all sorts of clothes, including hats and shirts in different combinations. They tried giving her a cowboy look, amongst others. They were all really enjoying themselves, and they soon settled on the following as a signature outfit:

A periwinkle shirt with a bird design on front underneath a forest green hoodie jacket and it had a few pins, one of which was ladybug-themed, she had purple and white sneakers, black leggings and dark gray jean shorts.

"Looks great." Marinette said.

"Not yet," Chloé said as she ran through her makeup kit and pulled out a pale pink lipstick. "Let's take it up a notch. Makeup!"

She gently put the lipstick on Mylène and then pulled away.

"Perfect!" The blonde stated. "Looks great!"

"Hey, we shouldn't stop here! I have an idea for a _MAJOR_ finale!" Marinette said before pulling her friends closer and whispering an idea in their ears.

"Damn, girl, that's a great idea!" Alya spoke.

Mylène looked at them questioningly, and then before she knew it, Marinette and company had dressed Mylène up in a wedding dress, and she was now looking in the mirror. The dress was reminiscent of the one worn by Ariel in the finale of "The Little Mermaid," with puffed sleeves in a ballgown silhouette, and the veil was held by white roses.

"Wow! This looks great!" Mylène spoke.

"Like a real bride!" Alya agreed.

"See, Mylène? The most precious gems have their roots in the rock. You just didn't recognize it at first and you needed a bit of extra help polishing it up. There's _no way_ Ivan won't notice you now!" Marinette said.

Mylène turned back to the girls, and with happy tears, she said, "Yes! Thank you so much, girls!"

Outside on another rooftop, Nathaniel had climbed up the chain-link fencing on the roof and he started watching through his binoculars. His eyes zeroed in on Mylène in her dress.

"A Love Angel-?! AAAH~!" Nathaniel said, before screaming and falling into the tree below. He was hanging on the tree branch, his feet dangling, and he was clutching the branch.

"Maybe _she's_ a Love Angel?" Nathaniel said aloud.

Back at his house...

"There's no way," The Evillustrator said to Nathaniel. "You can't just find out the identity of a Love Angel _that_ fast. It's too easy."

"But I saw that she changed into someone so beautiful that she didn't _look_ like the same girl." Nathaniel explained.

"Hm..." Evillustrator said. "Maybe keeping an eye on her is a good idea."

On Marinette's end, she was in her bedroom, and she was on the phone with Adrien.

"Yep! Mylène's ready to go whenever you are!" Marinette said.

 _"That's GREAT! Thanks, Mariboo,"_ Adrien said over the phone. _"Now we just gotta get those two together."_

"Alright, time for Operation: Love Confession! Any ideas?" Marinette asked.

"I have one: I'll bring Ivan out to the movies with me this coming... Saturday, and then you and Mylène just happen to show up there for the same movie." Adrien said. He was sitting on his king-sized bed in his room, wearing a dark green bathrobe.

 _"A double-date? Great idea!"_ Marinette agreed.

"Yeah, but it's only a fake double date," Adrien said over on his end. "The point is for Ivan and Mylène to get together."

"Yep," Marinette concurred. "Because the two of us going on a date? I... Don't know what to say about that."

Adrien pulled a slightly sad face and said, "Well... I don't know either. Thanks for the help."

Adrien then hung up, and Marinette said, "I wonder what's bugging _him?_ "

"What's this about a date, Marinette?" Tikki asked.

She and Nooroo were playing a game of chess where there was a chess table and pieces intended for humans. They were carrying the pieces and moving them around, and eating some homemade chocolate chip cookies Marinette brought up for them.

"Oh, um... It's nothing, Tikki!" Marinette said, blushing profusely and wondering what to reply. "No date! Nothing!"

The kwamis giggled in response before going back to their game.

That night, Marinette was lying awake in her bed while the kwamis were sleeping. She was looking up through her balcony skylight window, and she murmured, "A date with Adrien, huh...?"

She turned on her side, covered herself in her sheets, and fell asleep.

That Saturday came, and Adrien dragged Ivan out to the movies. The most popular movie that was being screened was a vampire flick.

"So, what's the deal, Adrien?" Ivan asked as he and Adrien came up to the movie theater. "Why are you bringing me out to the movies?"

"I just thought you seemed a little down at practice the other day and I was hoping watching a movie would help cheer you up." Adrien said.

"It's been _forever_ since I've been to the movies!" Mylène said to Marinette as the two of them approached.

"Yeah. I only went two weeks ago, but it wasn't such a great film." Marinette said with a shrug.

Ivan blushed and questioned aloud, "Mylène?"

"Oh! Ivan!" Mylène spoke, surprised to see him.

"Hey, Adrien," Marinette said. "So, you two heading to the movies today?"

"You and Mylène too, huh, Mariboo?" Adrien replied. "What a coincidence!"

"Yeah!" Marinette spoke with a smile.

"Hey, since we're all here, why don't the four of us sit in this movie together?" Adrien requested, thumb-jerking to the theater.

"Adrien!" Ivan spoke.

"Sounds like a great idea to me." Marinette agreed, winking at Adrien.

"Marinette, stop!" Mylène pleaded.

 _"So, let's go!"_ Marinette and Adrien said together before walking up the stairs.

Ivan and Mylène were now standing in awkward silence.

"Hey, um..." Ivan began, blushing. "Since we're here anyway, Mylène... Wanna sit with me?"

"I... I'd love to." Mylène agreed, also red in the face.

The two of them started walking into the movie theater together.

"So far, so good..." Marinette whispered to Adrien.

"Yep." He agreed.

"Hey, dudes." A voice said, and then Marinette and Adrien turned around and saw that Nino, Alya, and Chloé were there, too.

"Nino?" Adrien asked. "What are you doing here?"

"It's nice to see you and Marinette enjoying yourselves, Adrien." Nino spoke, smiling.

"Wait, this isn't what it looks like! Not at all!" Adrien protested, with Marinette nodding in agreement.

Alya came closer and whispered to the two, "Relax. We're here to help things along by keeping an eye on the situation."

"Oh, got it." Adrien said.

"Anyway, let's hurry and get to our seats," Chloé said. "We don't want to ruin their date."

"Wait, what?!" Marinette said as her friends left her and Adrien alone. She blushed and started getting chills. _'Are they teasing me or something?!'_

Inside the movie, the film was at the scene where the young woman was confronted by the vampire.

"Ahh!" Alya faux-screamed as she grabbed Nino's arm playfully. Chloé rolled her eyes and crossed her arms, annoyed.

Marinette was sitting in her seat, shaking in fear. They were at the scene where the vampire was about to bite the poor woman in the neck.

 _"AAAAGH~!"_ Marinette screamed, closing her eyes tightly and shrinking into her chair while squeezing the armrest like her life depended on it.

"It's okay, Marinette," Adrien said as he gently put his own hand over hers. "If I knew you weren't into horror movies..."

"N-N-N-Not your f-f-fault," Marinette said, shuddering. She then saw Adrien was holding her hand and she blushed even harder. "What are you doing?!"

"H-Hey, I was just trying to comfort you!" Adrien said, taking his hands away.

 _"SSHHH~!"_ The surrounding audience said, shushing the twosome. They blushed before quieting down.

Ivan and Mylène were sitting a few seats away. Mylène, not really into horror movies like Marinette, was shivering in her seat, too. She was also covering her eyes.

Ivan, noticing this, immediately put an arm around her shoulders to comfort her. Mylène looked up at Ivan, who was looking at her and blushing with a big smile on his face. She blushed in response. Feeling safe, she relaxed, and turned back to the film to continue watching.

"Look at that," Marinette whispered to Adrien, pointing out Mylène and Ivan. He looked over to them. "Things are going in the right direction."

"Yeah," Adrien agreed. "So after the movie, what's next?"

"I think I know just the thing." Marinette whispered back with a smile.

Once the movie was over, Marinette suggested the group go to the amusement park. And both Mylène and Ivan agreed with them.

Marinette and Adrien were sitting side-by-side in one car on the roller coaster, and Ivan and Mylène were sitting next to each other in the car behind them. The rollercoaster was going super-fast, and everyone was screaming in either delight or fear. The adrenaline made it hard to tell.

Once they were done on the roller coaster and they got off, both boys were supporting their girl, since they were dizzy from the coaster.

Later, the group went on the carousel. Marinette and Adrien were riding on one horse, with Marinette sitting in front of the blonde. Behind them on another horse was Ivan and Mylène, and the latter was sitting in front of the former.

Mylène was snuggling a bit closer to Ivan and he was hugging her.

Seeing the progress, Adrien leaned in closer to Marinette. The proximity made her blush.

"It's working, Mariboo," Adrien whispered into Marinette's ears. "Great plan."

"Tardy-UM, Thanks, Adrien." Marinette replied back, stuttering. She thought, _'Why the hell am I stammering like this?!'_

After the carousel ride, the group went to Place de la Concorde, where they found André, the ice cream vendor of love.

The portly man immediately saw the love and affection blooming between Mylène and Ivan, and he gifted them one of his legendary Lovers' Ice Cream cones.

"These two are the happiest couple I've ever seen! Would you let me have your picture on my card, please?!" André asked in rhyme as he took out his camera.

Mylène and Ivan smiled, the latter hugged the former closer to him, and he smiled, saying, "I'd love that."

Marinette and Adrien subtly pumped fists in delight. They were also sharing an ice cream he formulated for them. Mint with lemon-white chocolate ice cream and blueberry (André insisted on it, regardless of their protests to the contrary).

The two pairs were sitting on a nearby bench and eating the ice cream. Ivan scooped a bit of it up into his spoon and fed a bite to Mylène, who accepted with delight.

Adrien and Marinette smiled, excited at the scene.

Once the sun set, Marinette and Adrien tricked Mylène and Ivan into going onto one gondola on the ferris wheel alone. Meanwhile, model and designer were standing on the ground, watching as the gondola was going up.

"Ooh, I wonder how it's going up there?!" Marinette said, excitedly.

"Ivan should know how to hit his target," Adrien said. "He's got this, I know it."

"I'm sure they'll lay their feelings out without any problem!" Marinette said.

In the gondola, Mylène and Ivan were sitting across from each other, their faces down, both blushing, and sitting in awkward silence.

"Hey, Mylène..." Ivan began. Mylène looked up and looked at Ivan, who was blushing and giving her a smile.

"Yes?" Mylène asked.

"You look different," Ivan confessed, but then blushed at his implication. "In a good way! You look beautiful."

Mylène blushed and smiled before saying, "Thank you, Ivan."

"But the thing is... It makes you seem like you're someone else," Ivan admitted. "It took time to sink in at first."

Mylène looked at Ivan briefly before her face fell.

"But it's still you," Ivan spoke, looking up and blushing again. "I've always liked you, no matter how you look."

Mylène once again had a smile on her face.

"And..." Ivan continued. "I've always wanted to thank you for coming out and cheering me on at fencing practice. It means so much."

"Not at all," Mylène said. "I like watching you fence."

Ivan blushed, and he gently pulled something out of his pocket. It was a folded piece of paper. He then handed it to Mylène.

"For me?" Mylène asked as she took it. She unfolded it and started reading it.

Ivan waited with baited breath as Mylène read the note, her smile growing slowly with each line she read. The mood was wrought with romantic vibes.

Down on the ground, however, Nathaniel was hiding behind a few bushes, and was watching Mylène and Ivan through his binoculars. Evillustrator was standing next to him.

"They're up there in that gondola car on the ferris wheel." Nathaniel reported.

"I'm detecting a pretty strong love wave from up there," Evillustrator stated before smiling at Nathaniel. "You actually might be right about her being a Love Angel."

He drew out his jetpack and flew up to attack.

In the gondola...

"Oh Ivan," Mylène admitted, holding the note to her heart. "You really feel this way?"

Ivan gave a shy nod before gently taking Mylène's hands into his own.

"Mylène," Ivan began, his face still red. "W... Will you go out with me? Be my girlfriend?"

Mylène's eyes welled up with happy tears and she said, "Yes! Of course I will!"

They were leaning in closer to each other, their lips slowly pursing for a kiss.

But Evillustrator flew up, and he started sketching out something on his tablet.

 _"To those who write about in the darkness! I summon you, Wolfen!"_ Evillustrator called as he conjured up a giant, black and grey bipedal wolf monster with giant bat wings.

He opened his mouth fired red sound-waves at the gondola. The force knocked Mylène out of her seat and into Ivan's arms. The two of them were screaming as a bolt where one of the beams was holding the gondola up. It started dangling from the one place.

"Nice work," Evillustrator said. "Now, let the darkness take over!"

The scene was soon covered in dark purple and almost everyone collapsed, unconscious.

Adrien fell where he stood.

"Adrien!" Marinette shouted.

"Lady Marinette, look!" Nooroo shouted as he and Tikki came out of hiding and pointed out Wolfen and his attack.

"An akuma! Details, Nooroo?" Marinette asked.

"That's Wolfen, one of Evillustrator's pet akumas!" Nooroo explained.

The akuma was still firing the red sound waves at the gondola, and the beam that was still holding the thing up bent, lowering the gondola again.

"Crap! Mylène and Ivan are gonna fall if he keeps that up!" Marinette shouted.

"Time for the Love Angels, Marinette!" Tikki declared.

"Right!" Marinette agreed... Unaware that Nathaniel was watching her from his hiding spot.

 _"Lucky Wedding Flower!"_ Marinette shouted, transforming.

Nathaniel gasped and his eyes were wavering at the sight of his crush having transformed into Ladybug.

"Ladybug, you'd better hurry and go!" Nooroo instructed.

"Right!" Ladybug said, before jumping away.

"Marinette's... A Love Angel?!" Nathaniel said, in pure shock. He fell onto his rear end.

Ladybug transformed her bouquet into her yo-yo and started spinning it to fire her love waves.

They countered the akumas' sound waves, and then the wolf-like monster braced itself as the love waves bathed it. Ladybug landed on the gondola that was fully intact.

"What the hell do you think you're doing?!" Ladybug demanded.

"Yeah!" Rena Rouge said, standing on the rollercoaster track, in her wedding dress. "We've been working hard to get those two together!"

"Is it too much to ask for _one day_ without any akuma trouble?!" Queen Bee questioned. The girls then leaped over to flank Ladybug.

"Rena! Queen Bee!" Ladybug said, happy to see her friends.

"The Love Angels... And only three of them, and I don't see that other girl. Guess that rules her out," Evillustrator spoke. "Doesn't matter. Wolfen, get the Miraculous Something Four off the Love Angels!"

Wolfen flew at the angels, firing the red sound waves at them. But they jumped out of the way.

 _"Bridal Change Go! Wedding Dress Transform!" "Angel Creation Ladybug!" "Angel Illusion Rena Rouge!" "Angel Subjection Queen Bee!"_

"Queen Bee, your baton!" Ladybug commanded.

Queen Bee's Miraculous Something Blue flashed and she conjured up her baton.

 _"Bride's Bashfulness! Honey Star Shower!"_ Queen Bee shouted while firing the bee lights at Wolfen.

Rena Rouge then summoned up her wand from the Miraculous Something Borrowed before spinning it in her hand. She shouted, _"Love's Tribute Candle! Miraculous Fantasies!"_

Her foxtail lights were landing direct hits at Wolfen, who was growling in agony. But he shook it off and flew at the angels again.

"Go for it, Ladybug!" Queen Bee spoke.

Ladybug didn't hesitate to take out her Lady's Crystal, and she shouted, _"Lady's Crystal!"_

Wolfen fired more red sound waves out of his mouth, but Ladybug absorbed it into the crystal, causing it to flash.

 _"_ _Engagement Present! Lady's Crystal, L'amour Pour Vous!"_ Ladybug shouted, and she blasted Wolfen with the love waves.

Like clockwork, the akuma's facial expression softened and then smiled before disappearing into sparkles into the air.

"That was a quick one." Ladybug said as she put the crystal away.

Nearby, Evillustrator was muttering, "Looks like you Love Angels got in the way again. But this isn't over."

He then flew off with his jetpack.

The next school day, Mylène was working on something in her little classroom nook. A second protest sign, this one bigger.

 _'Ivan, when I'm done with this, I'm going to invite you to go with me to the protest!'_ Mylène thought, joyfully.

Ivan was on the field with the rest of the fencing team. He was sparring with one of the more proficient fencers on the other team. He was thinking to himself, _'Mylène, when this match is over I'm gonna ask you out on another date!'_

Ivan did a successful ceding parry with his opponent, and knocked the saber out of the other fencer's hand. He then touched the chest of his opponent with his own saber.

"Touché!" He said.

"Nice once, Ivan!" Nino shouted.

"That's how it's done, Ivan!" Adrien cheered.

The girls, who were watching, cheered with delight and jumped for joy.

"We totally helped Ivan get his fencing game back, didn't we?" Alya asked.

"We sure did," Marinette said. "And it's all thanks to the power of love, right?"

"Yep!" Chloé agreed.

The girls shared their fist-bump.

Up in the school building, almost in the exact same way as last time, Nathaniel was watching Marinette through his binoculars.

 _'Oh, Marinette... So you really_ ARE _a Love Angel,'_ Nathaniel thought, devastated, as he continued watching. _'NOW what am I going to do?'_

* * *

 **HO-LY Crap! Now Nathaniel's aware that Marinette is Ladybug! So what is he going to do?! Breach the contract or do what the Evillustrator wants? You'll have to find out by waiting for the next installment!**

 **And yes, Chloé calling Mylène a mouse _was_ a reference to Mylène getting the Mouse Miraculous in series proper in the future. And I hope you liked the Adrienette moments in here, too. **

**On the next episode of "Wedding Ladybug," The Evillustrator acquires backup in a new akuma called Volpina, who's nothing more than a ripoff Rena Rouge! Doesn't mean she's not dangerous, though. Meanwhile, poor Nate's torn on what to do - does he turn on Evillustrator to help Marinette out, or does he honor his contract?**

 **Meanwhile, the girls are having a Halloween party.**

 **And don't worry, in this story, Lila/Volpina's gonna be have more humanizing characteristics. But overall, she'll be more annoying than anything. Doesn't mean she won't be a tough akuma to beat.**

 **WASH YOUR HANDS, PRACTICE SOCIAL DISTANCING, STAY HOME, AND _STAY CALM!_ Logic is panic's prey.**


	29. A Halloween-Like Witch!

**Today on Wedding Ladybug, Evillustrator's got an ally in an akuma called Volpina (much to his annoyance), meanwhile Nathaniel's trying to figure out a way to help Marinette out without blowing her secret to his unwanted houseguests! Speaking of the girls, they're putting on a Halloween party at Michelle's nursery school! Not a good combination. How's Nathaniel going to handle this situation?  
**

 **YES, I know it's WAY too early for Halloween in the real world, but work with me here, please!**

* * *

One night at Nathaniel's house, he was sitting in the bathtub, soaking in the bubbly water and stewing over his worries.

"I know I'm not the sharpest tool in the shed, but why is it that every time I have problems with girls, I can never figure out what to do?" Nathaniel asked aloud.

 _~Flashback~_

 _"Ladybug, you'd better hurry and go!" Nooroo instructed._

 _"Right!" Ladybug said, before jumping away._

 _"Marinette's... A Love Angel?!" Nathaniel said, in pure shock. He fell onto his rear end._

 _~End of Flashback~_

"Ugh, if I don't report this to the Evillustrator, he's gonna kill me!" Nathaniel groaned, putting his hands to his head. He sunk into the water, thinking, _'I'm done for if he founds out some other way!'_

 _"Honestly, you're such a Donnie-Downer,"_ A feminine, saccharine-sweet voice said from out of nowhere. Nathaniel popped his head out of the water. _"No wonder the Evillustrator decided to go and possess someone with such a sad outlook. Fitting, really."_

"Hey, who are you?! And why are you in the bathroom?!" Nathaniel asked, freaked out.

Flute music played, and out of a puff of illusion fire came a girl that looked a lot like Rena Rouge. But her hair was longer and it was down as opposed to Rena's ponytail, and the mask was smaller, too. There were also some differences in her suit, too, including that Rena didn't have a belt-like feature on her waist.

"I'm a super-attractive, popular akuma girl from the illusion tribe," She explained, a smirk still on her face. "The name's Volpina."

Nathaniel was close to face-palming with a groan, his face red from the heat of the water _and_ the embarrassment of having an unfamiliar girl in his bathroom. Volpina was just looking at him like nothing was wrong.

The next day, the girls were walking through the shopping district as a way to relax. They came upon a toy store, and saw that staff members were dressed in costumes. One man was dressed as a clown and doing magic tricks for the kids, and a woman was dressed as a cloak-wearing witch and patting one little girl on the head, handing her a small toy.

There were pumpkins carved into jack-o-lanterns and other decorations.

"Oh, I totally forgot that Halloween is tomorrow!" Marinette said.

"What's Halloween?" Nooroo asked from his shared hiding spot with Tikki.

"You don't know what Halloween is?" Chloé asked.

 _"We don't."_ The kwamis all stated collectively, while still hiding.

"According to my research, Halloween started as a festival in the Celtic culture called Samhain, where people would light fires and wear costumes to ward off ghosts on October 31st," Alya began with her phone out. "Over time, it evolved into the holiday we know today."

"Right," Marinette continued as she let her imagination run wild. "These days on Halloween, kids dress up in all kinds of costumes. Monsters, ghosts, fairies, you name it!"

"And the kids go up to houses at night, and they say "trick or treat" which is basically saying "give us candy or else!,"" Chloé added while acting all witchy and spooky to scare the kwamis before going back to normal. "Basically, the adults have to give the kids candy, or chances are they'll be mischievous and pull pranks on everyone!"

"Last year, the bakery had a huge turnout of kids, so we had to have lots of free sample cookies and pastries to give them." Marinette informed.

"And you were dressed as a classic witch, too!" Alya added. "Just like in the "Hansel and Gretel" story!"

"This holiday sounds like a lot of fun!" Trixx stated from her hiding spot. "Especially the pranks and tricks!"

"I happen to find the dressing up portion of this festival quite appealing." Pollen agreed.

"I love sweets, so the candy sounds delicious!" Tikki added, with Nooroo nodding in agreement.

"Let's do it!" Nooroo declared in delight.

"Hey, great idea," Alya said. "Why don't we go back to Michelle's nursery school and have a Halloween party for the kids?"

"Ugh, for _those_ brats?!" Chloé groaned along with Nooro. They both remembered exactly how bad it was last time.

 _~Flashback - Chapter 27~_

 _"Big sister, watch this karate move!" One little boy said._

 _"Uh, karate?!" Chloé asked as the boy jumped at her with his arms in an "X" shape. He tackled her to the ground, and she hit the back of her head._

 _The boy laughed at Chloé as he got off her, teasing her about his attack._

 _"Hey, stop!" Nooroo cried. More kids crowded around and began playing with the poor kwami. "Enough! Stop it, please!"_

 _Seeing the kids were taken with Nooroo, Chloé stood up and haughtily said, "Well, I'll leave the kids to you, since you clearly have it under control."_

 _She started walking away with a satisfied, smug smile on her face, meanwhile Nooroo shouted, "Hey! Don't leave me here!"_

 _~End of Flashback~_

"There's no way I can deal with those kids again!" Chloé griped.

"Me neither, Lady Chloé." Nooroo agreed.

"Indeed. Those youth are quite incorrigible." Pollen added, also agreeing.

"Come on, Chloé, don't be such a baby," Marinette joked. "You don't _have_ to help out."

"Since it's Michelle's school and we've met these kids before, it probably won't be too hard." Alya said.

Chloé then sparked a pretty nasty idea, and in an attempt to smooth things over, she said, "Hey, who said I _wasn't_ going to help? Of course I'm gonna help my BFF's!"

"Thanks, Chloé," Marinette thanked before turning back to Alya. "Now let's talk costumes! I think I can rework some of the clothes I have to make them work for us. Alya, I think you'd look great as a..."

Meanwhile, Chloé took out her phone and her signature cruel smile came upon her face. It used to be that that smile was _never_ a good sign, but since befriending Alya and Marinette, that smile came up less often, and even when it did, it usually meant that she was going to do something to help the girls. Not this time, though...

She stepped away from the girls and called up Nino.

 _"What? A Halloween party at Michelle's?"_ Nino asked.

"Indeed. And I heard through the grapevine that Alya would be dressed as something _quite_ attractive. Why don't you come along and help out?" Chloé suggested.

 _"Well, I don't see why not, dudette,"_ Nino replied. _"I'll figure out what to wear later."_

"You'd better do your best to go _all out_. I'm sure Alya would enjoy it." Chloé spoke, disguising her mischief.

 _"Okay, I'll get back to you."_ Nino said before hanging up.

"Oh, Alya's going to thank me later." Chloé snickered.

"My queen, I don't find this little prank of yours amusing." Pollen scolded.

"Neither do _we!_ " Marinette said. Chloé whirled around and saw both Alya and Marinette glaring at her.

"Oh, um, hey girls..." Chloé began sheepishly.

"Chloé...!" Alya growled through grit teeth, angry that Chloé would pull such a thing. "You're trying to set me and Nino up?!"

"Come on, we haven't seen Carapace in a while," Chloé scoffed. "If that turtle isn't going to make a move on our resident vixen, then..."

 _"What did we talk about_ last time _we had an incident about setting people up without consent?!"_ Marinette and Alya roared, scaring Chloé.

* * *

On Nathaniel's end...

 _"HELL NO!"_ Evillustrator protested. "There's _no way_ I'd ask a stupid girl like you for help!"

Volpina had invaded Nathaniel's room and was talking to the Evillustrator, meanwhile Nathaniel was sitting on his bed and watching the exchange in silence.

"Aw, don't hold back with the praises," Volpina purred as she was hugging Evillustrator by the arm and walking her fingers up it. "You're just _bursting_ with joy that a beautiful akuma like _moi_ has a thing for you, Evey-Honey!"

""Evey-Honey?!"" Evillustrator spoke, grossed out.

"Evey-Honey, you're the type who always has to keep his hands clean," Volpina continued, leveling a flirtatious on him. "Always conjuring up akuma machinations with your artistry and making _them_ do your dirty work. How lazy."

Evillustrator groaned, annoyed. Volpina came up behind him and said, "But once you've got your targets cornered, helpless, and completely beyond rebound, unable to get back up and fight anymore, then you _slowly torture_ them in the most cruel ways!"

She then took one of his hands and rubbed her cheek against the back of it, clearly delighted.

"Craft, conniving, cunning... Just like a fox! And I _love_ it, Evey-Honey!" Volpina cooed. She then cuddled closer to him. "You've got a _lot_ of fans back in the akuma realm, but _I_ just so happen to be your #1!"

"Get your hands off me!" Evillustrator shouted before stepping away and glaring at her. "What the hell was Queen Mayura _thinking_ , sending a vixen like you?! And I'm not using "vixen" as a compliment here!"

"Aw," Volpina cried falsely. "Evey! You bully!"

She kept chasing him around the room, but Evillustrator ducked into Nathaniel's body to hide... Only for Volpina to follow him inside.

Nathaniel started groaning, _still_ unused to the discomfort.

 _"HEY! Get out of my bed, Volpina!"_ Evillustrator shouted from inside.

"You drew up a bed in there?!" Nathaniel rhetorically asked aloud, groaning.

 _"Ooh, nice place and absolutely beautiful bed, Evey-Honey! I wouldn't supposed you'd be okay with me sleeping in here with you, huh? Oh, please?"_ Volpina squealed.

Nathaniel, fed up, shouted, _"GET OUT, BOTH OF YOU!"_

The power of his rage forced the two akumas out, and Volpina was still hanging on to the Evillustrator's arm. They were looking at him in surprise.

"Listen up! This is my body, _NOT_ a toy!" Nathaniel spat at them. "You've got no right to mess around with it! Especially not without my consent, _UNDERSTAND?!"_

"Ugh, angry much?" Volpina said.

"Yeah," Evillustrator agreed before pulling his arm away. "Okay, Volpina. Since I've got no choice in this matter, as it is Queen Mayura's will, I'll let you be my subordinate."

"Good." Volpina said, smirking in delight.

"Your task is to disguise yourself as a human, and observe the human culture and lifestyles," Evillustrator instructed as he drew up a simulation on his tablet. "Then, find a way to eliminate the Love Angels."

"Understood, _Evey-Honey_." Volpina said, a bit too sweetly.

Evillustrator sighed.

Nathaniel looked on, panic on his face, and he began thinking, _'Oh, HELL... Now Marinette has another enemy! What am I supposed to do NOW?!'_

Being forced by Evillustrator, Nathaniel took Volpina into town on the metro, and she'd disguised herself as a human. Her hair was the same, but the fox ears and fox-themed suit were gone, and she was now wearing a red-orange jacket over a black romper shirt and had a black skirt and leggings as well as matching shoes.

She was looking around at everything, muttering "Human lifestyles" over and over again.

Volpina looked at the people in costumes, saw a few advertisements for Halloween on TV screens that were in the window of an electronics store, people selling their wares on the streets, etc. She saw people dressed as skeletons, witches, all kinds of monsters, etc.

As Volpina and Nathaniel walked through the crowd, she came up next to him and questioned, "So Nathaniel, are those normal human clothes."

"No way," Nathaniel replied. "They're just dressed up in costumes for Halloween."

"Halloween?" Volpina questioned.

"It's a holiday," Nathaniel explained. "That one woman was dressed like a witch. That's what humans think witches in general look like."

"Ew, that's disgusting!" Volpina complained, a disgusted look on her face. "Why do you humans think akumas like us look so horrible?!"

"Not sure," Nathaniel admitted. "It's just what people think. I wouldn't be too worried about it. Anyway, just stick by me and follow my lead."

But he immediately noticed Volpina wasn't next to him. He was frantically looking around before seeing that she was standing in front of some punk rockers and staring at them as they were posing. And they weren't very comfortable at the akuma's eyes on them.

Nathaniel dashed over, snagged Volpina's wrist, and started dragging her away. He scolded, "Don't go staring at others like that! It's rude! Under-AAAH!"

True to kitsune form, Volpina had changed clothes. Her hair was now died fiery red-orange and it was all spiked up, and it had a bright yellow streak in it, too. And she was also wearing clothes akin to the rockers from earlier, including a leather jacket, black shorts, and high-heel black boots that went up to her knees.

"Well, look at me now. Sexy, bad, just like a regular human girl." Volpina giggled.

Nathaniel face-palmed, but then he heard giggling.

He turned around and saw Marinette and company carrying shopping bags and walking through the district.

 _"Crap! Marinette!"_ Nathaniel shouted, freaked. He started pushing Volpina by the back. "Come on, we gotta get out of here! This is bad!"

"Hey, don't get forceful with me!" Volpina giggled.

"This isn't the time for messing around! Just get out of sight, come on!" Nathaniel pleaded, pulling Volpina's arm.

"Knock it off," Volpina said with a cruel scowl before yanking her wrist away. "You're getting annoying."

Nathaniel flinched.

"You're just a human, you're not the boss of me. I'm an akuma, so I don't have to listen to what you have to tell me." Volpina stated, glaring at him.

"Hi, Nathaniel," Marinette greeted. "Fancy seeing you here."

Nathaniel scrambled to hide Volpina, and said, "Um, hey Marinette!"

Alya noticed Volpina and asked, "Hey Nathaniel, who's the girl? Friend of yours?"

"Oh, um... This is... My cousin, yes! My cousin!" Nathaniel said.

"I didn't know you had a cousin," Alya stated. "But... you're not the most open person in the world, so I guess it makes sense you didn't mention her."

"Ugh, you're a _pathetic_ liar," Volpina scoffed as she pushed Nathaniel aside and then stepped to the girls. "I'm an akuma girl."

At the word "akuma," the girls knew they had to play dumb just to be safe.

"Oh, an "akuma." That's Japanese for "devil," right? I get it! You're dressed as a punk rock devil!" Alya stated.

"You look great in that costume," Marinette commented. "The clothes are so accurate for the style!"

Volpina just looked at them like they were insane.

"Hey Marinette, why don't we dress as princesses?" Alya questioned.

"Great idea!" Marinette said. "But we'll need to be distinct from one another."

"Are you going to copy me or something?" Volpina questioned.

Marinette kindly said, "Hey, why not come to the Halloween party we're throwing tomorrow? That is, if you don't have any other plans?"

"Huh?!" Nathaniel spluttered.

"We're going to go and make our costumes right now," Marinette explained. "And hey, with more people, a costume contest sounds about right!"

 _'Oh no... No, no, no, no, **NO!** " _Nathaniel thought, scared.

At Michelle's nursery school that evening, the girls were in an empty classroom, with several high-quality fabrics laid out on the floor. They were all in different colors and varieties.

"Wow, we have such a spread to work with! They're so beautiful!" Marinette commented.

"Are you sure about this?" Michelle questioned, pouring juice for the girls. "They look like they cost a fortune."

"Don't worry," Chloé assured, waving the concerns off. "Mommy told me these were just scraps and that we're free to them for the costumes. And with Marinette's talents, we're a shoo-in to make great costumes."

"Speaking of costumes, what should we go as?" Marinette asked as she picked up some red fabric. "I'm thinking I should go as Little Red Riding Hood. Thoughts?"

"You look absolutely _ravishing_ in red, Marinette," Alya said before winking at her. "And I also need to think of something."

"Like what?" Chloé asked as she examined the yellow/gold fabric. "What about me? I need to figure out how to make this into a cute, sexy bee!"

"Oh no!" Marinette protested. "Nothing "sexy," Chloé! Remember, we're having a party for _little kids!_ We need to be age appropriate!"

"Ugh, fine." Chloé relented.

"We can all discuss this over these." Michelle said as she placed a tray of orange juice glasses and cookies on the floor.

"Awesome! Macarons from the Dupain-Cheng bakery!" Alya said.

"This is going to be great!" Marinette squealed.

Outside the school, Nathaniel was up a tree with Volpina, who was still in disguise.

"What is their deal?" Volpina questioned, crossing her arms. "I don't understand why they're so excited about dressing up like witches and whatever."

"Remember what I said?" Nathaniel reminded. "Halloween is supposed to be a fun holiday. It's a huge thing."

"I've been thinking about this, though," Volpina said before crawling over to Nathaniel. "Why should I want to go to something as stupid as a Halloween party? Who cares, right?"

Nathaniel lost his grip and fell out of the tree, and Volpina came down to chase him.

Nathaniel snagged her by the back of the jacket and started dragging her away, saying, "Doesn't matter, we're leaving! Come on!"

"I'm serious. Why should I go?" Volpina questioned, genuinely confused.

* * *

Nathaniel was once again in the bathroom, soaking and trying to think of a plan.

"This is _shlecht, schlecht, SCHLECHT!"_ Nathaniel muttered to himself. He turned over and hung over the edge of the tub. "I know it's Halloween, but this is insane... How am I supposed to keep Marinette safe from this _m_ _achshaifeh?!"_

 _"Oh, Donnie-Downer!"_ Volpina cried from hiding. _"Do you_ always _bathe when you're upset?"_

Volpina appeared in a puff of fox fire again, this time dressed like a female version of Jagged Stone, her hair now dyed purple, with a purple star mark over one of her eyes, and wearing a skimpier version of his usual costume.

Nathaniel groaned.

"Cute, right?" Volpina questioned. "Like it?"

"Don't you have any sense of propriety?!" Nathaniel snapped at her as he stood up (while covering himself with a towel). "I'd like some privacy, please! Or did that even cross your mind?!"

Instead of getting out of the bathroom like he wanted, Volpina changed clothes again. This time she was dressed as Kannon, a Japanese goddess.

"This seems more sexy, don't you think?" Volpina questioned before shapeshifting once more. "Or maybe this one?"

She kept switching outfits, including a sexy nurse, Dorothy from the "Wizard of Oz," Santa Claus, and she asked, "Maybe I could go further if you'd like?"

And then she changed into a female sumo wrestler before saying, "Do women in sumo costumes turn you on?"

Nathaniel face-palmed and said, "Just leave..."

The next day at the nursery school...

Michelle was standing outside the building with the kids, dressed as a clown, including subtle makeup. And the kids were all dressed in costumes, too.

"Okay, kids! Do you all know the secret words?" She asked. "If you don't know the secret words to say, you won't get any sweets!"

 _"We know!"_ The kids said.

"The magic words are "trick or treat, give me something good to eat!"" Michelle said with a smile.

 _"Trick or treat!"_ The kids said, happily.

Inside, the others (accompanied by Nino and Adrien) were in the decorated classroom, getting ready. Alya was a forest pixie, her hair in ribbon curls in a low ponytail She was decked out in orange with a short dress, black leggings, and transparent wings on her back. She had Trixx play dead and look like a stuffed fox. Marinette was dressed as Little Red Riding Hood like she suggested earlier, with a basket filled with the candy for the kids. Her hair was in its usual pigtails. She also had Tikki and Nooroo dressed as little birds and they were on her shoulders, pretending to be inanimate. And Chloé was a classic princess decked out in yellow with hints of gold, including a cone hat, and Pollen was pretending to be a bee, also sitting on her owner's shoulder.

Marinette was helping Adrien zip up the back of his costume - he decided to go as a dinosaur.

"There you go," Marinette said as she finished zipping the back of the suit. She then handed him the head. "Here's your head, Adrien."

"Thanks, Mariboo," Adrien said before winking at her. "Or should I say, "Red Riding Hood?""

Marinette blushed before giggling a bit.

Adrien put the head on and said, "I can take the humiliation for the sake of the kids!"

"Why should you be humiliated, dude?" Nino asked, dressed as a garden gnome, minus the beard. "Trick or treat!"

"Alright, everyone! Let's go give those cute kids a Halloween to remember!" Marinette said.

Everyone cheered in agreement before heading outside (the kwamis being inanimate for the sake of disguise).

"Okay, time for the fun to start!" Marinette said.

The kids cheered before running to everyone, lining up for the candy.

"Trick or treat!" A little girl dressed as a bunny said to Marinette.

"Well said!" Marinette said as she took a few candy pieces out of her basket and deposited it into the little one's open hands.

The rest of the kids were enjoying themselves, getting candy from everyone, playing around, and everything.

Inside, some of the kids were being given piggyback rides by Nino, while some others were playing with Adrien's costume. He was taking the kids' mischief in stride, laughing and letting them play with him.

Back at Nathaniel's, Volpina conjured up some fox fire and she was watching the party.

"So the party's under way," She said. Evillustrator, who was on the bed, turned over. "I've been thinking about this, and I'm going to show these stupid humans what a real witch _is!_ "

Volpina then disappeared in a puff of fire and went into the portal to the party.

"Hey! Wait, hold on! Get back here, Volpina!" Nathaniel shouted. He dashed to the bed. "Evillustrator, get up and get her back! Stop her, please!"

"Why are you getting so riled up?" Evillustrator asked.

"You just don't get it," Nathaniel began. "Marinette's at that party! If Volpina does _anything_ to hurt her..."

"I wouldn't get so amped up," Evillustrator said as he continued sketching on his tablet. "There won't be any need for us akumas to reveal our powers so long as the Love Angels don't show up."

"That's what I'm worried about." Nathaniel muttered.

"Huh?" Evillustrator questioned.

"Oh, um... Nothing at all," Nathaniel said before slapping his hands together, in begging. "Please, Lord Evillustrator, grant me your evil powers!"

"Excuse me?" Evillustrator said, surprised.

"It's... Well, I wanna go to the party and enjoy myself, too. And impressing Marinette wouldn't hurt, either. You know how much it means to me." Nathaniel began.

"Why didn't you say so?" Evillustrator said with a smile. "It's there in the contract. So, what kind of power would you like?"

"Hm... Let me think on it for a second..." Nathaniel began.

Back at the party, one little boy dressed as a bat, said, "Trick or treat!"

"Very good." Marinette said as she placed some candy in his hand.

But the boy noticed Nooroo, and started pulling him by the tails of his wings, saying, "I love your stuffed toy!"

"Owww!" Nooroo complained. Tikki grimaced.

The girls then heard cackling, and they looked up on the jungle gym. There was Volpina, in her true form, up on the fixture.

"I'm a real witch! Ta-da!" She sang with a big smile.

"Hey, it's that girl from yesterday." Marinette said, happy she attended.

"Is she supposed to be a Rena Rouge fangirl?" Alya questioned, unimpressed with the costume.

The kids approached, all delighted.

Volpina jumped down and examined the kids with a deceitful smile, saying, "Well, well, well. What do we have here? I'm a real witch!"

"You're supposed to be a witch?" "The costume's rather strange."

"Strange?!" Volpina questioned as she recoiled.

"Doesn't matter," One little boy said as he opened his hands. "Trick or treat! May I have something sweet to eat?"

Volpina had her back against the gym as the kids were crowding around her for sweets.

"Hey! What do you want from me?! Get back, you little brats!" She said, confused.

The kids' squeals, smiles, and pleas for treats were generating love waves.

"Ugh, what is this gross feeling I'm getting?!" Volpina bitterly spat. "Is this the love waves?"

But her eyes flashed at the sight of the kids. She picked one up and shouted, "Quiet, you monsters!"

"Hey, what is she doing?!" Marinette questioned.

"Marinette, that's no witch!" Nooroo piped up. "I know her! She's an akuma called Volpina, also known as "The Phony Fox!""

 _"What?!"_ The girls screamed.

Nathaniel came on the scene from behind, and said, " _Nishtgut!_ Volpina's revealed herself! Fine, then..."

Nathaniel picked up a sparkling vial and looked at it.

 _~Earlier~_

 _"Just sprinkle this on yourself and think of what you want to turn into." Evillustrator instructed_

 _~End of Flashback~_

He gave a firm nod.

"We gotta stop her! Come on!" Marinette said.

The girls began to charge in...

 _"Hold it right there, you witch!"_ A voice said, stopping the girls in their tracks.

The girls and Volpina looked up to the roof to see... Ladybug? Or more accurately, Nathaniel _dressed_ as Ladybug, all decked out in the dress.

 _"HUH?!"_ The girls shouted, surprised.

"Oh, you must be a Love Angel!" Volpina accused.

As Nathaniel held the bouquet to his face, he started saying, "On this beautiful autumn day, before the visit of Jack Frost, you've come to harm these innocent kids during this party! This is unforgivable! I am the Love Angel! I am Ladybug, and I am _NOT_ amused!"

 _'Since when do I do fight speeches like_ that?! _' Marinette_ thought.

"Ladybug!" Volpina sneered as she jumped up onto the roof.

Nathaniel turned on his heel and started running, screaming. Volpina gave chase. The kids were cheering.

"Okay, any idea what's going on?!" Marinette asked.

"Who knows?" Chloé commented.

"It doesn't matter," Alya added. "That girl's an akuma, so let's stop her!"

The others nodded.

Nathaniel was running along the Seine, Volpina hot on his heels. He said, "Okay, I've managed to get her away from Marinette and the girls."

Nathaniel then pivoted on his foot to confront Volpina, and she stopped.

He jumped up and shouted, "Take this!"

But Volpina was too nimble, dodged Nathaniel's kick, and then said, "You missed!"

She did a roundhouse kick and kicked Nathaniel in the back, sending him flying.

He landed on his stomach on the ground, and the veil he was wearing disappeared in sparkles.

"Uh-oh!" He said.

"Hey! You're no Love Angel! You're Nathaniel!" Volpina spat. "You're going to get it for tricking me!"

Said human whirled around and shivered as he saw how angry Volpina was.

Her angry akuma energy was radiating and she roared, _"I'm NOT an akuma girl you want to piss off!"_

Nathaniel stood up and ran for it, screaming, _"HEEEEELP!"_

Volpina blew into her flute and shouted, "No one's going to help you out now!"

She blasted illusion fire from her flute and it hit Nathaniel smack in the back. Akuma electricity was pulsing through him and he was screaming in pain.

 _"ENOUGH!"_ Ladybug shouted.

Volpina looked up and saw Ladybug and company in their wedding dresses, standing on the bridge.

"So, you must be the _real_ Love Angels!" Volpina stated.

"Yeah, no need to reiterate that," Ladybug said. "Shall we, girls?"

 _"Let's!"_ Rena and Queen Bee agreed.

 _"Bridal Change! Wedding Dress Transform!" "Angel Creation Ladybug!" "Angel Illusion Rena Rouge!" "Angel Subjection Queen Bee!"_

The girls' dresses switched and then they jumped down to confront Volpina.

"Sorry for the wait." Ladybug said.

"You Angels are doing down! I'm Volpina of the illusion akumas!" Volpina shouted before blowing into her flute and conjuring up illusions of giant water spouts coming up from the ground.

The angels were jumping and dodging the water spouts, even though they knew that they were only illusions.

They were soon back-to-back, surrounded by the spouts. Ladybug looked and saw that there was an opening above the illusion spouts, and she said to the others, "Let's go! Up top!"

Queen Bee and Rena Rouge followed Ladybug's lead and they jumped up top above the water.

Volpina stepped back, gasping.

"Queen Bee! Go for it!" Ladybug directed.

Queen Bee summoned up her baton before saying, _"Bride's_ _Bashfulness! Honey Star Shower!"_

The bee lights were landing a direct hit onto Volpina, who was shouting, _"CUT IT OUT!"_

"I'll show you who's boss, you phony fox!" Rena Rouge declared as she got her wand out. _"Love's Tribute Candle! Miraculous Fantasies!"_

Her fox lights were also battering Volpina, and she was screaming, _"Agh, they're strong! I'd better get backup!"_

She fired another fox fire blast at the girls, only for Ladybug to get her crystal out.

 _"Lady's Crystal!"_ Ladybug shouted as she sucked the fox fire into the crystal. _"Engagement Present! Lady's Crystal! L'amour Pour Vous!"_

Ladybug fired light at Volpina, and it was so bright that the area was blinded.

When the light faded, Volpina was gone.

"Huh? Did I miss?" Ladybug asked as she put the crystal away.

"No," Rena said as she and Queen Bee landed next to her. "That cowardly imposter! Turning tail and running! She gives foxes a bad name!"

Ladybug went over to examine Nathaniel. She lifted him up and said, "Nathaniel? Are you okay?"

Nathaniel, weakened from the attack, looked up at Ladybug, then muttered, "M... Marinette..."

He then fell unconscious, and Ladybug froze, thinking, _'Oh CRAP! Does Nathaniel know who I really am?!'_

"Hey Ladybug!" Rena said as she and Queen Bee came over. "How's Nate?"

"He'll be fine. Just unconscious." Ladybug reported.

"Okay, while we're on the subject, any idea _WHY THE HELL_ Nathaniel was cosplaying as Ladybug?" Queen Bee questioned as she knelt down next to him.

"Halloween notwithstanding, you mean?" Ladybug asked.

"Maybe he just likes drag performing?" Rena suggested. "I mean, there are _plenty_ of drag queens in the world."

"I don't think it's that..." Ladybug muttered.

But the girls laughed when they realized that the chaos died down.

That evening, back at his house, Nathaniel was holding one of his profile sketches of Marinette, and he muttered, "Marinette..."

"What do you mean "Marinette?"" Volpina asked from behind.

Nathaniel turned around and screamed when he saw Volpina in the form of a fox-colored _flying fox_ bat and hanging upside down.

"Geez, would it kill you to stop popping up in weird places out of nowhere like that?!" Nathaniel asked.

"I wouldn't be so chatty," Volpina said as she shapeshifted back into her true form and landed on the floor. "I was nearly blasted into love waves because of you!"

Nathaniel gulped.

"That was completely weird," Volpina said as she narrowed her eyes at Nathaniel. "I mean, dressing like a Love Angel? You're not _hiding_ anything, are you?"

"Oh, come on," Nathaniel lied. "Me? Why would I hide anything? I have a contract with Evillustrator, and I plan on holding up my end of the deal. A human with akuma-tendencies, so to speak."

"Ugh, whatever," Volpina said before crossing her arms. "But _damn_ , those Love Angels are strong."

"They sure are," Nathaniel said with a smile. "So, why don't you and the Evillustrator go back to the akuma realm where you'll be safe? Better than putting yourself in danger, right?"

But Volpina smiled and said, "No way! Those Love Angels are worthy opponents, and I _LOVE_ fighting a worthy opponent!"

Nathaniel gawked.

"Queen Mayura, Lord Evillustrator, watch me go and take those angels down!" Volpina squealed, still as cheery as ever.

"Were you talking to me?" The Evillustrator questioned as he came out from hiding.

"Give me my dues, you know?" Volpina said.

Nathaniel face-palmed before muttering, "Oy vey..."

Volpina was still peppy, motivated to wage war, while Evillustrator and Nathaniel were looking on, annoyed.

* * *

 **Oh-kay... Nathaniel jumping in to help the girls out by using akuma power to disguise himself as Ladybug? That's a weird one. But at least the girls' secret is safe for now. And trust me, I was really trying my best not to LOL writing that part.**

 **Also, I hope you liked the brief history of Halloween. I did my homework on this.**

 **As for what Nathaniel was saying earlier in the chapter, here's a translation:**

 **Shlecht: Bad  
** **Nishtgut: not good  
Machshaifeh: witch**

 **As for the language, this is Yiddish. Thought it fitting, since it's been speculated that Nate's Jewish. Speaking of which, I know it's early, but _HAPPY PASSOVER!_ I hope everyone finds a way to enjoy their seder in the wake of the COVID-19 crisis!**

 **Now, this is the beginning arc I've been dreading. I _hate_ Lila (and I KNOW I'm not the only one; I skip episodes where she's a central character), but everyone remain calm. I'm going to try and keep her as IC as I can with more humanizing characteristics compared to how she is in canon, but mostly she's just gonna be more annoying than anything. This is going to be especially as the rest of the arc goes on, and there will be a few episodes where the focus isn't even _on_ Volpina. Example, we'll be seeing a lot of Renapace moments, the debut of Ryuko, and more! Besides, the sooner I get the arc done, the sooner it'll be finished and we can move on to more of the _real_ drama of the show, including more Adrienette moments... and a few other surprises, some nice and some... Well, not so nice. No spoilers, and for those of you who've _seen_ "Wedding Peach," I don't want ANY SPOILER COMMENTS, please! You'll ruin it for everyone else otherwise. **

**Coming up, the girls have had enough with Nathaniel's bizarre behavior (especially when Marinette admits that she's suspicious of him finding out about her secret) and decide to go undercover to look into the situation, suspecting that the akumas have something to do with it. And when Volpina tries to bring Evillustrator back to the evil side to no avail, she tries to "resolve the issue." And then Nathaniel tries to get help!**


	30. Farewell, My Friend the Akuma!

**Wow, an update in only three days? New record for me for this story. Guess all I had to do was stop overthinking things and get it done. If I can take advantage of all this downtime we're having due to COVID-19, I might be able to get through this next arc pretty quickly.**

 **Uh-oh! This is trouble! The girls are trying to figure out what the hell's gotten into Nathaniel, and they're all but certain that it's got something to do with the akumas!**

 **But that isn't the only problem. After the Evillustrator survives a fight with the Love Angels, Volpina realizes that the love waves have affected him and she decides to "resolve the issue." What's going to be the outcome of this one?!**

* * *

Nathaniel was once again sitting in his room in the dark. He had a lamp on and was looking through his sketchbook again.

The pictures he had side-by-side were professional-level portraits of Marinette and Ladybug. Marinette was on one side, and Ladybug was on the other.

"Marinette is Ladybug..." Nathaniel muttered as he turned the page to reveal that he had drawn up another comic page. It was two panels. The top panel had Marinette designing clothes while the bottom panel was her as Ladybug, with Rena Rouge and Queen Bee.

He groaned and put his hands to his face, mentally exhausted. He moaned, "I don't believe this..."

A portal opened up in his bedroom. Nathaniel quickly slammed the book shut and threw it under his bed as the Evillustrator came back out.

"What were you doing?" He asked the redhead.

"Oh, um... Just working on some action profile poses for another comic... Homework assignment for drawing class." Nathaniel spoke.

Evillustrator just gave a "hm," and looked around a bit.

To distract the akuma, Nathaniel ran to the window and pulled the curtains back. He said, "Isn't the moon beautiful tonight?"

Evillustrator came to the window and looked at the full moon, just as some clouds were slowly passing it.

"I should probably take a picture and use it as a reference for a nighttime scene for one of my comics!" Nathaniel spoke, taking his phone out and snapping a photo of the moon. He then put it away.

The akuma and human stood in silence for a few seconds. Nathaniel took a deep breath.

"Listen... I don't want to get caught in the crossfires of this angel-akuma war, fight, whatever it is," Nathaniel confessed, before turning to the Evillustrator. His eyes wavering in pleading, he presented the hand with the thumb ring. "So, I'm begging you, _PLEASE let me out of this contract! Take away this thumb ring!"_

Evillustrator looked at Nathaniel, sighed, and said, "Nate, listen to me. Before I came along, what did you have?"

Nathaniel paused and his eyes went askance.

"You're no athlete, and your strengths don't lie in STEM or academics," Evillustrator continued. "But then _I_ come into your life, and _now_ look at you - you're the star of your school!"

Evillustrator then turned into akuma energy and blasted himself into Nathaniel's body. The latter was screaming in pain.

As the clouds covered the moon, Evillustrator said, _"I'm the LAST akuma you want to breach a contract with!"_

In gym class at school the next day, Nathaniel was doing spins and stunts on the horizontal bar at gym class. When he dismounted, he did a quadruple somersault before sticking the landing.

Everyone was applauding and cheering for Nathaniel... But it all sounded hollow to him.

 _'Doesn't this make you happy, having everyone stare at you with awe and amazement?'_ Evillustrator asked happily.

"Yeah. _Staring_ ," Nathaniel began. "Stop making me do quadruple air flips, please."

 _'Nate, I can make you the most powerful man on the entire planet!'_ Evillustrator stated.

"I-" Nathaniel began to protest.

 _'Just find the Love Angels, don't think of breaking the contract, and everything will be fine!'_ Evillustrator said, trying to reassure Nathaniel.

But Nate wasn't having it. On the inside, he was beating himself up.

The girls were on the sidelines, looking at Nathaniel in suspicion.

"Nathaniel's an athlete, huh..." Marinette began, crossing her arms in confusion.

"There's no way in hell this is for real," Chloé stated, shaking her head. "We all know Nathaniel's anything but cocky. For him to be so athletic, confident, and smart out of nowhere like this is _ridiculous, utterly ridiculous!"_

"Chloé's right," Alya agreed. "This is just too weird, and I can't help but be suspicious of these events! So, I say we investigate after school You girls in?!"

Marinette and Chloé nodded in agreement.

Later on, Evillustrator was standing with Volpina atop the Montparnasse Tower. She'd called him to talk to him face-to-face.

"Sorry to drag you out here, Evey-Honey." Volpina said.

"What's up?" Evillustrator asked.

"You've been weird lately." Volpina stated, looking at Evillustrator.

"Weird? Me? No, that's you, Volpina." Evillustrator responded with a chuckle.

"Listen, Evey-Honey, I've always been a fan of how harsh and cruel you were. An akuma the realm could be proud of. But you've gotten soft." Volpina admitted.

"Soft? Me?" Evillustrator questioned, crossing his arms and quirking a brow.

"All you've been doing lately is hanging around that Donnie-Downer Nathaniel! Talking art with him, possessing his body! It's pathetic." Volpina stated.

"Keep that fox snout of yours out of my business, _vixen!_ " Evillustrator spat, still using vixen as an insult.

"Hey, don't get mad at me!" Volpina pleaded, tears pricking her eyes.

Evillustrator recoiled a bit.

But Volpina then giggled before getting closer to the artist and telling him, "Sorry to be true to my tricky fox nature, pulling the wool over your eyes like this."

"Excuse me?" Evillustrator asked, his voice dropping an octave.

"Well, I thought I'd send one of the other water akumas, Pump, after your friend Nathaniel." Volpina said with a smirk.

 _"YOU DID WHAT?!"_ Evillustrator shouted.

Later on with Nathaniel, he was walking home with school, his mind muddled with the guilt of his actions and situation. He was walking by one of the parks.

Some ways behind him, the girls had put on disguises and were tailing him. The kwamis were out, too.

"This is _really_ worrying me." Marinette began.

The others turned to her.

"Ever since Nathaniel was a little boy, I would always catch him here at this park every now and again." Marinette admitted.

"Oh, right," Alya said as she and the others looked at the park. "I forgot that you grew up with most of our classmates."

"Yeah," Marinette began as she and the others were watching a few boys playing in the park. One boy with glasses was chasing another one, with a paper airplane in hand. "He wasn't one to stick up for himself that much. One of Chloé's many targets in the past."

"Don't remind me." Chloé moaned.

"And look at him now," Alya commented. "He's not like that anymore."

"Now he's a lot more courageous," Chloé pointed out. "And he's a bigger showoff."

The girls remembered some of Nathaniel's recent accomplishments, like his first horizontal bar flip, his decorations for the campus festival, and how much more pushy he'd become.

They then tailed Nathaniel again, hiding behind a lamppost.

"This is _really_ weird," Chloé agreed. "He's been totally OOC for a while!"

"I suspect that it's akumas." Trixx spoke.

"That's my first guess. What do you all think?" Tikki asked the others.

"Yeah, that sounds about right. Otherwise, Nathaniel's sudden transformation is totally strange." Marinette agreed.

"You three are the strange ones." A voice said.

The kwamis hid, and girls squawked before whirling around to see Adrien and Nino, carrying their fencing duffle bags, looking at the girls like they were nuts.

"Oh, um, Adrien! Hi there!" Marinette spluttered. The girls stood up.

They started laughing nervously.

Tikki peeked out of hiding and pointed out to the other kwamis that Nathaniel was getting away.

"What's with the spy clothes, Mariboo? New fashion look?" Adrien questioned.

"Keep it down, Adrien!" Marinette hushed, anxious.

"Why?" Adrien asked. "Why do I need to whisper? Is it something bad?"

"Well, um, I can explain..." Marinette began.

"No time for that!" Chloé hissed, pulling Marinette away. "We're in a rush! Come on!"

The girls dashed after Nathaniel, leaving Nino and Adrien confused.

As Nathaniel walked along the Seine, a giant water droplet appeared from the river and then it turned into anthropomorphic water pump of some type, including the fact that it was a biped like a human and it had a face.

"Wha?!" Nathaniel spoke as he was confronted with the akuma.

"Hello, human! I'm Volpina's servant, Pump! Now, prepare as I fill you with evil energy!" Pump screamed as Nathaniel stepped back.

He pulled out a one-handled pump (a yellow version of one of those stereotypical TNT push-handles that someone would press down on), and said, "Now let your hatred rise to draw out the Love Angels!"

He started pumping up and down rapidly, and akuma water blasted out from the hose he had, blasting Nathaniel. He was screaming at getting soaked.

Above the scene, the Evillustrator had arrived on his jetpack. And he wasn't happy at seeing Nathaniel being attacked.

The girls had run under the bridge, following Nate, but they immediately fell back when they saw the scene.

"No! Nate!" Marinette shouted as she let Nooroo and Tikki out. Trixx and Pollen came out, too. "Nooroo, who is that?"

Nooroo went to look at the scene, and then said, "Oh no! Lady Marinette, that's the akuma pet known as Pump! Like a water pump!"

 _"Lucky Wedding Flower!" "Cunning Wedding Flower!" "Growing Wedding Flower!"_

But they weren't aware that the Evillustrator was watching them from behind, his eyes widened in angered shock.

 _"Bridal Change Go! Wedding Dress Transform!" "Angel Creation Ladybug!" "Angel Illusion Rena Rouge!" "Angel Subjection Queen Bee!"_

 _'THESE girls are the Love Angels?!'_ Evillustrator thought, both angry and shocked.

"Rena, go!" Ladybug directed.

Rena Rouge summoned up the Miraculous Something Borrowed and activated.

 _"Love's Tribute Candle! Miraculous Fantasies!"_ Rena Rouge called as she fired her wand's magic at Pump. His water blast was stopped and he was enduring the pain of the power.

Once he stopped, all three angels jumped in front of Nathaniel, and they held their weapons at the ready.

Pump started pumping water at the angels, unaware that the Evillustrator had drawn up a magical flamethrower on his tablet and was about to blast a fireball at them.

The water shot at the girls, who dodged and/or blocked, and the water collided with the fireball the Evillustrator created, putting the flames out.

"Hey! Pump, quit it! You're getting in my way!" Evillustrator shouted as he fired the flamethrower at Pump.

"HOT! HOT HOT HOT HOT!" Pump screamed, as he was literally on fire and running away to cool off.

"Um... He could've just jumped in the river..." Ladybug pointed out. But then the angels turned around to the Evillustrator. "And who are _you?!_ "

"I'm the Evillustrator of the art akumas, and Angels, I've seen who you really are." Evillustrator said with a smirk while holding up his pen.

The girls flinched.

"Marinette Dupain-Cheng; Alya Césaire; Chloé Bourgeois." Evillustrator said, listing the names off, causing each girl to recoil or blanche.

"How'd you-?!" Rena began.

 _"Give me the Miraculous Something Four!"_ He hollered as he fired the flamethrower again.

The angels were now standing back to back to each other, surrounded by a ring of fire. Nathaniel was on the sidelines, watching in horror.

Ladybug was looking around for an opening to fight, but the heat from the fire was messing with her senses and her airways.

"Now, I'll take those Miraculous Something Four from you." The Evillustrator stated as he held up his pen to draw something to steal the jewelry pieces.

"We're not giving you a thing, dude!" A familiar voice shouted from above.

 _"Carapace!"_ The angels sang, delighted at their turtle ally's arrival.

"You again?!" Evillustrator shouted as he started conjuring up more fireballs with his flamethrower to fire at Carapace.

With each ball that was fired at the turtle, Carapace blocked with his shield, confidence in his smile.

"If you calm down an angry heart, then even the fire that burns within will cool off, dude!" Carapace stated.

"Right!" Ladybug shouted as she broke free from the fire, rammed the Evillustrator in the back, and knocked him away.

She used her yo-yo to get the pen away from him so he couldn't draw anything, either. The pen was wrapped in the string, and then Ladybug threw it a fair distance behind her.

"You little...!" Evillustrator shouted as he started radiating angry akuma energy. He then grew to the size of Godzilla (like in a cliché Power Rangers episode where the monster was beaten and then it grew into a giant, prompting the Mega Zord).

All of the angels were freaking out at the sight of this.

Evillustrator then summoned up another pen, and he drew up a huge fireball, firing it at Ladybug. She tried to block with her yo-yo, but the flames surrounded her again.

 _"NO!"_ Nathaniel screamed.

 _"Love... WILL... WIN!"_ Ladybug shouted before activating the Miraculous Something Old. _"Lady's Crystal!"_

She grabbed the crystal and started sucking up all of the fire. The fire that was surrounding her, and the stuff the Evillustrator was blasting at her. It was more hatred than she was used to, but she powered through and kept sucking it up until it was all gone.

 _"Engagement Present! Lady's Crystal! L'amour Pour Vous!"_ Ladybug shouted, firing a _giant_ blast of love waves.

Not only did the waves hit their target, but instead of exploding into sparkles like usual, the Evillustrator just shrunk back down to normal size and gently floated down, sparkles surrounding him. He was on his knees.

 _"Miraculous Ladybug!"_ Ladybug shouted as magical ladybugs flew all over the city, fixing the damage.

"Yes!" Queen Bee cheered, while Nathaniel, still watching, was in shock.

Ladybug walked over to the akuma.

"J... Just kill me," Evillustrator said, serious. He turned to Ladybug and scowled. _"KILL ME!"_

"No." Ladybug said simply with a smile.

Evillustrator's eyes popped open at that refusal.

"Is hating each other really necessary? The only solution?" Ladybug gently questioned as she knelt down to get to eye level with him. "Nothing good comes from hatred. Only more pain and suffering. And then the cycle just repeats over and over again and _everyone_ gets hurt. That's not healthy."

Evillustrator scoffed, saying, "You're such a fool."

He flew off, and vowed to the angels, "You'll regret this one day! You should've just taken me out when you had the chance!"

He then disappeared, with the group looking on.

* * *

Night fell, and the Evillustrator was standing on a roof that towered over the city. He was looking up into the sky, questioning the events.

 _'Why'd they spare me?'_ Evillustrator thought.

In his mind, Ladybug was talking to him.

 _"Is hating each other really necessary? The only solution? Nothing good comes from hatred. Only more pain and suffering. And then the cycle just repeats over and over again and everyone gets hurt. That's not healthy."_

Evillustrator sighed.

"No..." Volpina said from behind. He turned around and saw the vixen akuma approach, tears in her eyes. "Evey-Honey, you're pitiful..."

"Volpina." Evillustrator greeted.

"Evey-Honey, those damned love waves showered you, and now you can't tell which way is up, or what you're doing!" Volpina declared, clearly distraught.

Evillustrator was silent at her statement.

"Get ahold of yourself, Evey! Go back to being the amazing, cruel, ruthless Evey you were before!" Volpina pleaded.

Evillustrator didn't answer, his eyes going askance.

"No... No, you're not a _cruel_ Evey, you're a _cowardly_ Evey... _AND I HATE YOU!"_ Volpina shouted as she charged forward.

Evillustrator grunted and his eyes widened, feeling something hit him. Volpina was crying as she was close to his body... revealing that she'd changed her flute into a sword and stabbed him in the chest, going completely through him.

"W... Why?!" Evillustrator groaned.

"Evey-Honey..." Volpina wept, before going into a crying fit. "Oh, Evey-Honey, you're no akuma anymore! Those Love Angels stole your soul away! It... It's breaking my heart!"

She pulled away from him, and he fell to his knees.

"I've always respected your cruelty, but look at you _NOW!_ " Volpina cried as she fell to her own knees, then turned away from him. "I don't recognize you! You're not the akuma I've always known... Hell, I don't know you _AT ALL!_ SO LEAVE ME ALONE!"

She flew off, leaving the Evillustrator, but she was crying the whole time.

Evillustrator was grunting in pain. He stood up, and then stumbled a bit.

Back with Nathaniel, he was aimlessly walking around, miserable and wondering what to do.

"Nathaniel..." A weak voice said from behind him. Nathaniel turned around and saw Evillustrator floating down, kneeling and holding his wound.

"What happened to you?!" Nathaniel asked, then gasped. "This wasn't the Love Angels' doing, was it?"

"No... Nathaniel..." Evillustrator groaned. "I've been wanting to tell you that... I've tried possessing many a human, but nobody seemed to work... Until you. You've always been the right fit."

Nathaniel dropped his bag, and rushed over to the Evillustrator, saying, "Don't talk! Just relax!"

He put his hand on the akuma's shoulder.

"I... *Wheeze* It's weird. I've always felt so comfortable in your body... *Cough* You could say you're one of the akumas' chosen people." Evillustrator stated weakly, between gasps for air.

"This isn't the time to be talking about that!" Nathaniel said, his face twisted with worry. "Tell me how we can help you!"

"No... I'm afraid that's impossible," Evillustrator admitted before choking. "So... I think it's time I let you go from the contract, Nathaniel."

Evillustrator took Nathaniel's thumb ring, radiated akuma energy, and then the ring fell off and bounced a few feet away.

Nathaniel looked at it and back to his hand... He felt like he could _breathe_ again. Like all of the burdens, fears, and guilt just evaporated into a puff of smoke.

"Y... You came for me just for that?" Nathaniel questioned, before whirling around to the akuma, fear in his face and tears in his eyes. "Evillustrator, _please!_ Tell me what I can do! there's _got_ to be way to heal you!"

"D... Don't worry about me... I'm beyond saving at this point. There's nothing that can help me now." Evillustrator moaned.

 _"NO!"_ Nathaniel screamed.

"It's ironic... I've always had restful sleep, felt so welcome, so at home... Comfy... _*URGHH*_ In... In your body..." Evillustrator spoke. He then turned to Nathaniel and gave him a smile. "The reason I possessed you in the first place was because I could relate to you... I understood the shyness and the pain you were feeling, and... *Cough* You... *GASP* Over time, you... _*COUGH*_... You became my friend."

"Evillustrator..." Nathaniel wept, tears all but ready to drop. But then something clicked in his mind. "The Love Angels! That's it! They could help!"

He stood up, wiped his tears away, and said, "Evillustrator, just sit tight! I'll be back with help!"

Nathaniel then took off running. Evillustrator looked on after him, and as the redheaded human disappeared into the shadows, the akuma looked up at the full moon.

He saw the cragged textures on the surface of the satellite, and how they were softened by the bright, but gentle light that it radiated. The caress of the moonbeams highlighted the sparkle of the nearby stars, and for an instance, the Evillustrator wanted to get out his sketchpad to capture the beauty.

"The human realm moon really _is_ beautiful... Pretty enough to draw." Evillustrator commented, but then gasped at what he said.

 _'What the hell am I saying?! These aren't my words at all!'_ Evillustrator thought. _'Enough of this nonsense!'_

He stood up, and declared, _"I am the Evillustrator of the art akumas!"_

Lavender-colored lights shot out from his body, and he turned into lavender sparkles, before falling onto the thumb ring. His remains, in the form of the sparkles, lingered...

In the akuma realm...

"Lord Evillustrator was awful!" Volpina reported, stammering on her words and tears. "He was showered in those love waves, and he was about to turn on us... So I... I..."

She covered her face with her hands and started bawling.

"We all know that turncoats are to be executed," Mayura stated coldly. "So don't cry, Volpina. Turn your grief into hatred. Be hateful to all of the love in this world. And turn those tears of sorrow that burst forth from your eyes into droplets of unadulterated hatred."

"I will," Volpina said, before taking a deep breath. She wiped her tears away and smiled wickedly. "Now to business: one of my tools is this stupid human named Nathaniel. A-N-D, I've come up with this clever plan to defeat the Love Angels!"

"Oh?" Mayura questioned.

"Yes. If I send a familiar akuma pet after Nathaniel," Volpina began, before giggling and giving another cruel smile. "Things might get _interesting_."

* * *

With Nathaniel...

 _"SAY WHAT?!"_ Chloé screamed.

Nathaniel had ran to Le Grand Paris, only because it was the closest to him. He demanded to see Chloé, saying it was an emergency, and confessed _everything_ to her.

"You mean to tell me that this whole time, an akuma's been possessing your body, Nathaniel?!" Chloé screeched. Pollen was looking at Nathaniel scoldingly, too.

"Y-Yeah..." Nathaniel said, about to start crying again.

"Are you insane?!" Chloé griped, stomping her foot. "Why didn't you fess up about this sooner?! We could've helped you get out of that contract a long time ago!"

"Quite right!" Pollen agreed.

Nathaniel sniffled, his eyes still wet and about to shed, and he said, "You and the others can chew me out later! Right now, I need you to call Alya and Marinette and _come with me!_ And save Evillustrator!"

"Why?! And what are you...?!" Chloé began, only for Nathaniel to fall to his knees, clutch his hands in his hair, and continue sobbing.

"E... Ev... _The Evillustrator is gonna DIE!"_ He wailed.

Chloé looked at him in worry, before scoffing and saying, "Fine, just stop your bawling."

She looked at Pollen.

Once the others were filled in, Nathaniel lead them to where he last left the Evillustrator. But he was gone, save for the sparkling thumb ring.

The girls and kwamis were looking around for the akuma.

"Where'd he go?" Tikki asked.

"Didn't you say here was here, Nathaniel?" Marinette questioned.

"I wonder where he went." Alya asked.

But Nathaniel was kneeling in front of the ring. Seeing it all alone, but no Evillustrator... He knew.

"Evillustrator is... Evillustrator is..." Nathaniel choked, before he went back to crying. Tears were rushing down his face like river rapids, he leaned forward in front of the ring, and sobbed into his crossed arms.

Everyone was looking at him sadly, but Chloé was looking the least upset over the situation.

"Evillustrator was... Evillustrator was an akuma, I get that, but..." Nathaniel wept. "But he gave _me_ , a timid guy with no talent in sports or academics... He gave me _power_. He showed me how to dream! He was my _friend!_ "

"Nathaniel, I can't believe you're grieving over an akuma! One that was possessing you against your will, at that!" Chloé scolded, earning an angry gasp from the others. "He only gave you phony dreams! Dreams that weren't even _meant_ for you!"

"Chloé!" Marinette scolded. She, Alya, and the kwamis were looking at Chloé, upset with her, cuing her to stop. Even Pollen was looking at her owner in distaste.

 _"Don't you think I know that now?!"_ The redhead roared as he rounded on Chloé, his face red as his hair, his cheeks soaked, his breathing rapid and shallow. She flinched.

The kwamis came closer to him to comfort him, Nooroo especially.

"But I've learned _this_ : if there's something I want in life, I can't just sit around and let it come to me! _I_ have to be the one to make the effort to achieve those goals! And _HE'S_ the one who gave me that lesson! Evillustrator was the one who taught me how to live life!" Nathaniel declared, the dams in his tear ducts having fully broken.

Chloé's look softened, and her scowl turned into a sad frown, and her muscles relaxed as the ice in her eyes began to melt.

 _"AND THERE'S NO WAY IN HELL YOU COULD **EVER** UNDERSTAND HOW I FEEL, CHLOÉ!" _Nathaniel hollered, more tears drenching his face.

But then Pump emerged from the streets again, shouting. Nate was snapped out of his anger for a second as everyone gasped at the sight of the familiar akuma.

"Well, Nathaniel, let's turn your anger into power!" Pump shouted as he phased into akuma energy and flew into his body. The redhead screamed while the girls gasped.

Red marks appeared on his face and his eyes turned completely white.

 _"Since you can't understand how I'm feeling, let's see you feel THIS!"_ He shouted as he took the water hose and rounded on the girls. He started pumping water in large amounts to spray them.

Chloé got doused and the water was basically surrounding her body Like she was underwater while standing on the ground. And then he fired at the others. Marinette jumped away, and Alya wound up suffering the same soaking as Chloé.

"Nathaniel, cut it out!" Marinette hollered.

But Nathaniel once again tried to douse water on Marinette, but again, she ducked. She tumbled and rolled before standing back up.

"Marinette, we need to stop this!" Tikki shouted.

"Right!" Marinette agreed.

The possessed Nathaniel was laughing maniacally, but then he was blinded by pink light. In the next instance, Ladybug in her suit emerged.

Nathaniel blasted water again, but Ladybug jumped and dodged it. She took out her yo-yo and started spinning it, radiating rainbow-colored love waves.

Nathaniel started groaning and he dropped the water hose. He fell to his knees.

"Nathaniel! Remember your childhood! With us! Remember how your drawing and your artwork was something you love!" Ladybug begged.

Nathaniel's face relaxed as his memories flew back.

 _~Flashback~_

 _Nathaniel was still a little boy. He at the playground, trying to do a flip on the horizontal bar. He was struggling to lift himself up and do a trick, but his hands slipped and he landed on his tush on the ground._

 _All of the boys were laughing at him for his inability, and Nathaniel was just sitting there, about to cry._

 _"ENOUGH!" Someone shouted. Everyone turned and saw one rather short girl with pink hair, blue eyes, and was wearing sports gear. She came over to them, and she said, "Stop laughing at him! You're being bullies!"_

 _"You gotta a problem with this, Alix?" One boy said._

 _"Yes!" She said._

 _Nathaniel watched as Alix started beating up the boys in a fight._

 _Later on, Nathaniel was sitting on a bench, drawing something._

 _"Hey, Nathaniel!" A familiar voice said._

 _He turned around and saw Marinette and Alix._

 _"Oh, hi..." He said._

 _The girls sat on the bench, flanking him._

 _"Whatcha' drawing?" Marinette asked._

 _She then looked at Nate's sketchbook to see some rudimentary-skill-level superhero drawings._

 _"Just some superhero drawings... Sometimes I like to dream that I'm a superhero who uses creativity and art to defeat the bad guys instead of brawn." Nathaniel admitted._

 _"That's an amazing idea!" Marinette said in delight._

 _"Wow! These are amazing drawings! If you keep at it, I'm sure you'll become a professional comic artist!" Alix agreed._

 _"Forget about sports!" Marinette encouraged._

 _Nathaniel smiled as he felt so much better at the girls' encouragement._

 _~End of Flashback~_

"Yeah... Yeah, there always _have_ been people looking out for me! Alix, Marinette... my family... Yes!" Nathaniel said, beginning to regain control of himself.

Inside his body, Pump was groaning in pain from the Love Waves and he shouted, "OOWW! THIS HURTS!"

He left Nathaniel's body. The redhead collapsed on the ground, the markings on his face turned back to normal.

"Alright, time to get this evil out of here," Ladybug said as she started spinning her yo-yo. _"Ladybug Bridal Blast!"_

She blasted white love waves at Pump, and his face turned from angry to peaceful. He laughed before flying into the night sky, singing, _"Love gets me pumping with joy!"_

Ladybug sighed before looking at everyone else on the ground.

"Is everyone okay?" Ladybug shouted as she ran over to help Alya sit up.

Nathaniel sat up, saw the girls, and said, "Everyone alright?"

He watched Chloé sit up, and he asked, "Chloé, you okay?"

"I'm fine," She reported as she sat up. "But my clothes and hair... UGH, they're ruined!"

Nathaniel chuckled, saying, "Yeah, you're fine."

Ladybug was looking at her friends, satisfied, and she changed back.

She and Alya stood up and said, "Let's head home for the night, okay?"

She winked at Alya. She nodded, and said, "Yeah, good idea."

Alya quickly typed something up on her phone and sent it. Chloé's phone went off, and then she picked it up and read the message.

 _"Marinette and I are going to go on ahead. You need to apologize to Nathaniel. What you said to him while he was crying earlier was very insensitive!"_ The message said.

She read it over a few times, thought it over, then crossed her arms and said to Nate, "Okay, let's talk."

Nathaniel looked at her questioningly as Marinette and Alya left.

The two girls were sitting on a bench with a napkin filled with cookies between them. The kwamis were out, and they were munching on the cookies.

"So, you think Chloé's _actually_ going to apologize to Nathaniel?" Alya asked as she ate a cookie.

"I'm sure she will," Marinette said as she gave Tikki some juice to drink. "She can use this as another lesson to learn."

"Everyone makes mistakes," Tikki said as she drank her juice. "Nathaniel made the mistake of making a deal with an akuma, for one."

"Yeah..." Trixx agreed.

"Hey, you girls had some balls, leaving me alone that way." Chloé said as she and Pollen found the girls.

"Chloé," Marinette said. "Where's Nathaniel?"

"He went home. Said he had some sketches to get done for class," Chloé confirmed as she sat down on the bench with her friends. "Told me that tonight inspired him to draw something relevant to what happened."

"Well, that's good." Alya spoke.

"But he _did_ inquire something," Pollen began. "He asked my queen if there's anything he could do to help."

Alya and Marinette blinked in surprise.

"He asked me if there was anything he could do to help the Love Angels. Said it was the least he could do after all the trouble he caused." Chloé explained.

"That's very sweet of him to offer," Marinette said. "So, what did you answer?"

"I told him that the best way for him to help is to stay out of it altogether," Chloé confirmed. "He's been in the crossfires enough, and if he got involved, he'd only be in even _more_ danger. Isn't that why we're not telling our families anything that's going on?"

"Good call," Marinette agreed. "The fewer non-angels that get involved, the better."

"But I _did_ give him consent to use Queen Bee as inspiration for a new girls' superhero comic series on the grounds he doesn't use the kwamis _or_ file it under non-fiction," Chloé said with a smile. "Just told him to make sure to ask you two before he used Rena Rouge or Ladybug, too."

The girls laughed at this new information.

* * *

 **Poor Nathaniel... He lost a friend. That's pretty sad, isn't it? Akuma or no akuma, I know there are plenty of people who can relate to this kind of thing. Right? But I wonder if the akumas mistook Nathaniel's anger stage in the grieving process for hate? Anger in the grieving stage isn't the same as hate.**

 **Seeing Volpina genuinely grieving over something is, yes, OOC for her, but like I said in the last chapter, I'm trying to make her more annoying and humanize her characteristics a bit... granted, I guess killing WOULD be IC for her, but work with me.**

 **And don't worry about Nathaniel, he'll be back in this story, but not as a love interest for Chloé.**

 **Anyway, enough of the sadness. Coming up, Volpina disguises herself as a human girl and infiltrates the girls' school as a new student named Lila Rossi. But immediately, she rubs the angels the wrong way not only by attracting most of the boys' attention at school, but also by getting close to Adrien, much to Marinette's discomfort! But they have more important things to worry about, including akumas at the hands of Volpina's machinations!**

 **I'm sure this the part that you guys (and me by extension) are dreading. But much like this COVID-19 pandemic, we'll get through this.**


	31. Intruder! Rival for Love!

**Okay! Time for the part I've been dreading! Volpina disguises herself as a human girl named Lila Rossi and goes undercover as a new student at François-Dupont High school! Immediately, she gets the boys' attention, but then she gets on the girls' nerves (Marinette especially) by getting close to Adrien! Oh boy...  
**

* * *

In the akuma realm, Volpina was once again in audience with Queen Mayura. They were reviewing the footage of the Evillustrator passing away. The video feed cut out.

"The Evillustrator was nothing short of foolish. Volpina, you were right to eliminate him." Mayura praised.

"Aw, thank you." Volpina thanked.

"It was the idea of possessing a human that led to his failure." Mayura stated.

"While we're on the subject of humans," Volpina started. "I had this idea of following Evillustrator's lead. But instead of _possessing_ a human, why not _disguise_ myself as a human being instead? I'll be _so_ attractive, the boys can't stand it!"

"There's something off going on at François-Dupont High school campus. Volpina, you are to find the final piece of the Miraculous Something Four and take it away from those Love Angels." Mayura instructed.

"No problem." Volpina replied with a smirk.

In another chamber in the realm, Volpina was standing in front of a mirror. She took out her flute, blew a few notes into it, and she blasted a yellow light ball on herself. When the light faded, her hair lost its ombré tones, her mask and suit were gone, and she was now wearing a red-orange jacket over her black shirt, black leggings under black shorts, shoes, and was wearing pearl earrings.

"I'll be the most popular and attractive girl at school, and finding those damned Love Angels will be nothing short of a snap." Lila said with a smirk.

The next day at the girls' school, Volpina, in her disguise, stood in front of the class, next to Mlle. Bustier.

"Alright, everyone, allow me to introduce our newest classmate, Lila Rossi." Mlle. Bustier said, gesturing to Lila.

"Hi everyone, it's nice to meet you," Lila greeted. "Please, help me out, okay?"

"Okay," Mlle. Bustier said. "We have an open seat at the desk across the aisle from Marinette."

Marinette gave a wave to indicate herself. Lila then walked over to her seat, sat down, and turned to Marinette with a deceivingly-sweet smile.

"I'm happy to meet you." Lila said, smiling.

Marinette's skin got goosebumps, like when someone was out in the cold for too long without a jacket. She tried to smile and she said, "Um... Hi there."

Later on, Alya, Chloé, and Marinette were talking to Lila, asking her some questions about her background.

"So, where'd you move from?" Alya asked with a smile.

"Oh, from around," Lila spoke. "Over there..."

The girls looked at her suspiciously when they saw she was pointing at another desk.

"Um, where, exactly?" Chloé asked.

"Well, because of mom's work, I'm from a totally different world." Lila said, covering up her mistake.

"So you're from abroad?" Marinette asked.

"Sort of." Lila spoke, trying to think of something.

"But you're from here originally?" Chloé questioned, her eyebrow quirked.

"Yo, Rossi!" Someone said. A group of boys approached. "Our next class is science. May I show you the way."

"Aw, that's _so_ chivalrous of you," Lila said while giving the boys seductive eyes. "But you don't have to be so formal with me. You can call me Lila, so don't be shy about it."

The boys were already swooning, and one said, "Sure, Lila."

"Well, I'm ready to follow your lead." Lila said as she stood up and allowed the boys to escort her to the classroom.

Once they were alone, the girls' friendly expressions dropped.

"There's something about her that's giving me bad vibes," Alya said, crossing her arms. "People like that are annoying."

"I don't like her, either." Chloé agreed.

"Come on, girls," Marinette insisted. "I mean, yes, I'm getting weird vibes off her, too, but let's try and keep an open mind about her. She's new here, after all."

"You may have a point," Alya conceded. "After all, if we didn't keep an open mind about Chloé here, we wouldn't be the power trio we are today."

In the science room, Lila was surrounded by the boys at her table as she was getting the experiment ready.

"You can borrow my textbook today if you'd like, Lila." One boy offered.

"Aw, thank you," Lila thanked. "Now where are those beakers?"

"I'll get them for you!" Another boy said before running off.

"Working with these chemicals is kind of scary." Lila admitted, feigning minor fear.

Over with the angels, they were working on the experiment while watching the scene. And needless to say, they were _not_ amused.

"She's only here, what, five minutes, and she's already got all the boys in school wrapped around her finger?" Chloé complained.

"Yeah, sugarcoating everything she says, adding a giant dollop of Créme Chantilly _and_ putting sugar sprinkles on top? I mean, I like sugar, but _this_ is overkill." Alya agreed.

"Yeah, it's so sweet that it makes me want to go to the dentist to get fillings for _all_ of my teeth." Chloé spat.

"And there's something _artifically-sweet_ about it, too..." Alya began.

"I'm with you," Marinette spoke in agreement. "But we shouldn't be gossiping about her, we need to be focusing on this experiment. We don't want Mlle. Mendeleiev to catch us. Remember what happened in the library?"

The girls pulled uncomfortable faces when they remembered that time they were attacked in the library by three akumas at once.

 _"ROSE LAVILLANT! GET THAT PERFUME BOTTLE OUT OF THIS CLASSROOM **RIGHT NOW**!" _Mendeleiev shouted.

Rose ran out of the classroom with her pink perfume bottle.

"While I don't agree with her yelling at Rose like that, yeah, having flammables in a chemistry lab is dangerous..." Marinette spoke.

After chemistry lab, the girls were standing out at the school courtyard, watching the fencing team go at it again. They were taking photos and videos on their phones, watching the team.

Someone tumbled, rolling, and wound up dropping his saber. It bounced over to the girls.

"Don't worry," Alya said. "I'll-"

"I've got it!" Lila said as she was shoving other bystanders aside, pushed Alya away, took the saber and threw it back to the fencing team.

"Hey! Don't you know it's rude to just shove people around like that?!" Chloé snapped.

Lila was just staring at the boys on the team, letting the girls' protests go in one ear and out the other.

When the captain of the fencing team - a taller, rather muscular young man with tanner skin and red hair - came by, he said, "Thank you."

"Oh, don't mention it," Lila giggled before saying, "He's a looker."

"Oh, great," Chloé said, rolling her eyes. "Yet another girl going gaga over the fencing captain."

Adrien, meanwhile, had taken off his mask and helmet and was talking to his opponent.

Lila's eyes blew open, her face went red. Inside her body, her fox-colored DNA strands (black phosphate backbones and white and orange base pairs with different shades of orange and white) were bulging.

 _'There's something about that boy that's different from these other humans...'_ Lila thought, and she swayed her body around, saying, "OOH!"

"Yep, just another girl going nuts over the captain." Alya laughed a bit.

Adrien was just wiping his face with the back of his hand.

"Nathalie forgot to pack a sweat rag for Adrien again?" Marinette questioned as she rummaged in her backpack. "Poor guy. What can you do."

She took out a towel for him and started to make her way over to Adrien. As she came up next to Lila, the disguised akuma snatched the towel away from Marinette, saying, "May I borrow this?"

"Hey!" Marinette shouted as Lila ran out onto the field.

"What is she doing?!" Alya spat. "How inappropriate can someone _be?!_ I'll bet she's going to be going over to the captain to butter him up!"

But to their surprise, Lila ran right past the captain, as if he wasn't there.

Adrien was having shallow breathing from his workout, only for his eyes to cross together when he saw the towel come into his face. He turned to see Lila right in his space, and he shouted before stepping away.

She gave him a overly-friendly smile, then once again got in his space, saying, "You're a hunka guy, aren't you?"

"Adrien, huh?" Chloé said. "Well, I can see why. He's a model and all, wealthy... He's got it made."

"Chloé, look." Alya said, pointing out Marinette.

Her eyes were narrowed with anger, her teeth were grit and she was shaking. Her fists were balled, too.

" _Mon dieu..."_ Alya muttered, face-palming. Chloé winced, too.

"Hey, why don't you check out how fast my heart's going?" Lila said, holding on to Adrien's wrist. She pulled it to her chest, where one of her breasts were.

Marinette's face went red when she realized what that would look like from the outside looking in.

Adrien got chills running up and down his spine, like a strongman had played the strength tester game at a fair and hit the bell before the puck rushed back down. And his stomach felt like he'd eaten something that wasn't agreeing with him and he was about to see it a second time.

"Cut it out!" Adrien said firmly, yanking his hand away.

"Oh, come on," Lila insisted. "You can feel it, can't you? How my DNA's tingling up a storm?"

"DNA? The hell's she going on about?" Chloé asked, crossing her arms.

"Whatever she's talking about, bringing genetic talk into her flirting is nothing short of disgusting I mean, can't anyone else see how grossed out Adrien's looking? Like he wants to just shove her away and flip the bird at her?" Alya added. "Hey Marinette, what do you think?"

Marinette was about to cry, but she was taking large, deep breathes, imagining herself and her mother together again, thinking about Luka and his music, and more.

"S... She must be crazy if she thinks she can take Adrien away just like _that!_ " Marinette said, turning to her friends and trying to put on a happy face... But Alya and Chloé were just looking at her with worry.

Lila was still trying to get close to Adrien, but he was pushing her away, insisting that she get away from him.

"Hey, please, just..." Adrien stated.

"Yo, Adrien..." The captain said, obviously noticing that the girl wasn't respecting his space. "Um, need some help?"

"Please!" Adrien said as he pushed Lila away and stood next to the captain.

"It's nice to meet you," Lila said. "Lila Rossi here. You must be the captain."

Later in the bathroom, Lila was standing in front of the mirror, looking at herself. But instead of the sight of Lila Rossi, her reflection was that of her true self, Volpina.

"What is this? This feeling that my heart's enlarging or something," She asked herself aloud. "It's so strange..."

* * *

That night, Marinette was in her bedroom, wearing her pajamas, in front of her computer with her controlling, playing UMSIII in a _pure rage_. Up on the screen, her chosen mech, which was modeled after a ladybug, was absolutely _trouncing_ the other _two_ mechs in the game.

"Adrien's suddenly popular with the girls, huh?! This is unbelievable!" Marinette griped as she kept pounding keys on her controller snarling, and more.

She had Nooroo and Tikki playing as opponents, but they were struggling with the game.

"Hey, you've got the wrong button, Tikki!" Nooroo pointed out.

"No wonder I'm getting the combination wrong constantly!" Tikki exclaimed.

In addition to forgetting which key did which action, they'd often get the combination moves wrong. Combine that with Marinette's experience with the game, they were getting creamed like butter and sugar in a stand mixer set on its highest speed. Right at the beginning of _every round_. Marinette wasn't even aware of how tired the kwamis were.

"Marinette, can't we stop?" Tikki asked as she collapsed onto the controller. "We've been at this for more than an hour."

"Yeah," Nooroo agreed. "I guess seeing someone hitting on Adrien that blatantly must've been a huge shock, Lady Marinette. At least you have a healthy outlet for this instead of ripping pillows or something."

"Doesn't matter to _me_ what girls flock to Adrien! Not one bit!" Marinette griped while continuing to play her game. She hadn't even realized that the kwamis stopped.

Her phone, which was sitting on the loft bed, rang out loud, but Marinette was ignoring it while continuing to play the game.

"Lady Marinette, the phone." Nooroo spoke.

Marinette kept playing, ignoring the ringtone. Nooroo gestured to Tikki, who flew up to the bed to get the phone. She picked it up and flew it over to Marinette.

"Doesn't matter to me, doesn't matter to me, doesn't matter, doesn't matter..." Marinette kept muttering... while accidentally grabbing Nooroo and using _him_ as the controller.

"Marinette, _the phone!_ " Tikki insisted.

Marinette finally snapped out of it, then took the phone from the kwami. She said, "Thanks, Tikki."

She looked at the screen and saw a number she didn't recognize. But changing it, she answered the call.

"Hello, this is Marinette Dupain-Cheng." Marinette greeted.

 _"Hi, Mari. It's Lila."_ Lila said over the phone.

Marinette flinched, before asking, "Lila?! How'd you get my number?!"

"Oh no, is it that rival of yours?" Tikki asked.

 _"Oh, I just asked around,"_ Lila giggled. _"Listen, gossip around the school says that you know Adrihoney better than anyone else."_

"Huh? Adrihoney?...You mean Adrien?" Marinette asked.

 _"Yep,"_ Lila confirmed. _"So, give me the deets on him!"_

"Listen, I don't know why you're asking _me,_ " Marinette began, trying not to snap at her. "I don't have any real relation with..."

 _"TELL ME **EVERYTHING!** " _Lila enthusiastically screamed into Marinette's ear.

Once all was said and done, Marinette was playing UMSIII to vent again.

 _"WHY do I have to tell_ Lila _everything about Adrien?! It's not like I care about that guy like that!"_ Marinette ranted as she kept going at it. She changing from using the kwamis as opponents to going onto the online platform.

She asked other players to just indulge her and play with her, saying that she needed to let some destructive urges out in a healthy outlet, and crushing mechs on UMSIII was one of her favorite ways to do it. They didn't ask questions, but understood she needed to vent, so they let her.

And needless to say, the comments in the chat room...

 _"Wow. You're on FIRE tonight!"_

 _"Whatever's gotten you so upset, it's really motivating you to kick ass here."_

 _"Sure you don't wanna talk about it?"_

"Marinette, you're going completely bonkers here." Tikki pointed out.

"Lady Marinette, _please_ calm down," Nooroo pleaded. "You won't be able to get any sleep this way."

Marinette paused in her game, then as if an air-filled balloon was untied, she let out a big breath of air.

"Y... You're right," Marinette agreed as she told the other players she was signing off for the evening. "I need some sleep..."

The next day, the girls were once again watching the fencing team at work. They had their phones out, they were taking photos of the teammates playing, and more.

The fencers were sparring like no one's business. Adrien had just touched his opponent with his saber, then lifted his mask up before saying, "Nice work! Now let's get back to it!"

Unfortunately, Chloé and Alya noticed Marinette was sitting down on the bench, sadly staring off into space like a cloud was in her brain and wasn't lifting anytime soon.

"Things have been totally off since Lila showed up, am I right?" Alya questioned.

"No kidding," Chloé agreed. "I have half a mind to give that green-eyed witch a piece of my..."

"Alright, everyone! Take ten!" The captain shouted as he took his mask off.

Lila soon came running with a giant cooler filled with bottled water that was sitting in ice.

"Nice work, everyone! I've brought the water!" She shouted.

"Seriously?! _Now_ what is she up to?" Alya asked.

As the fencers took the bottled water from the cooler, the captain told Lila, "Thanks a bunch. Having a club manager really helps us out."

 _"Manager?!"_ Chloé choked.

"That little...!" Alya spat. "She's found another way to get close to Adrien?!"

"Being a fox, I know sneaky and that girl is _good_. But I don't mean that as praise!" Trixx added from hiding.

Lila kneeled down next to Adrien with a rag in her hand before reaching up and saying, "May I wipe the sweat off your face?"

"No, I've got it," Adrien firmly replied as he took the rag from her hand. "Please leave me alone?"

Instead of listening to him, Lila hovered her hands over his knee and asked, "How does a knee massage sound?"

"Didn't I just say to back off?" Adrien asked, trying to be gentle, yet firm again while pushing Lila away.

"Can't that girl take a hint?" Chloé asked. "Boys are often given a lot of grief for not respecting women's boundaries, but girls are guilty of it, too!"

"Yeah, she's clearly ignoring him when he's saying "no," but it's like she doesn't care!" Alya added.

"Marinette, you're not just going to stand there and take it, are you?" Chloé asked, only to see Marinette looking on in fury, shaking, her eyes zeroed in on the scene with pain, and everything.

Once she realized she was being looked at, Marinette questioned, "What are you talking about? I... I don't have any business thinking about it! Nothing to do with Adrien!"

"Really, girl?" Alya teased.

"Not a thing." Marinette insisted.

"Looks like Adrien's got a sweet tooth, huh?" Chloé teased.

 _"Chloé!"_ Marinette shouted, her shoulders hunched and leaning in closer to Chloé.

"Gotcha." Chloé laughed, pointing her finger at Marinette.

"Chloé, you're not helping." Alya said, putting a hand on the blonde's shoulder.

* * *

The day of the big game for the fencing team arrived. The event was being held at the Parc de Princes.

The members of each team were having one-on-one matches with each other. Moves included riposte, ceding parries, feints, and more. The fencers were taking turns sitting on the bench and actually having matches on the field.

For François-Dupont High, two out of five of the fencers that were on the field were Nino and Adrien. Nino was doing offensive maneuvers and defending himself whenever there was engagement between the blades.

"Go for it, guys!" Alya shouted, cheering.

"Go, go, go!" Chloé cheered too.

"Come on, girls, try not to make a scene." Marinette giggled.

Adrien did a feint on his opponent before landing a touché on him.

 _"Great job!"_ Marinette shouted.

"Adrien!" Lila shouted from out on the field. The girls were looking at her, too. "Adrien, you're amazing!"

"Are you for real? She used her position as manager to get out on the field and bench?" Alya complained in annoyance.

"What a piece of work she is!" Chloé agreed. _"Ridiculous! Utterly ridiculous!"_

"There's no way you're coping with this, are you, girl?" Alya asked Marinette.

Marinette was gripping the stand railing, shaking, gritting her teeth. But when her friends were clearly looking at her, she relaxed and said, "I... I really..."

Tikki and Nooroo popped their heads out from hiding, and the latter said, "Lady Marinette was _so upset_ that she was thrashing Tikki and I and some other online opponents at UMSIII until nearly midnight!"

"Nooroo!" Tikki hissed.

"So even Duchess Marinette is fallible and can get jealous." Pollen giggled.

"Yeah, I say we go and give Lila a piece of our minds," Chloe agreed. "Let's tell her to keep her sticky fingers to herself!"

"Say what?!" Marinette asked, blushing. "W-Why do we need to confront Lila! What she and Adrien do together is none of my business!"

Marinette was once again digging in her bag, and now Nooroo had put a small yarn ball in her hand to help her calm down. She was squeezing it while trying to breathe.

Back on the field, a fencer from the other team was lunging at Adrien, his épée at the ready. Adrien did a defensive stance for a ceding parry, but he lost his footing, fell off the mat and onto the grass, landing square on his knee.

 _"OW~!"_ He shouted as he dropped his épée and held his knee.

"Adrien!" Marinette shouted as she ran out of her seat.

"Marinette!" Alya spoke. She and Chloé went after her.

The trio was inside the stadium halls, and they saw Adrien coming in... Hanging on to Lila.

"Hang on, I've got you." Lila spoke as she was walking him somewhere.

"It's nothing." Adrien insisted.

"Hey, Adrien!" Marinette said as she and the girls ran up to talk to them. "Are you okay?"

"I'm good, Mariboo," Adrien said with a smile. He gave her a thumb's up. "Nothing that I can't handle."

"You can just leave it to me, his _personal_ manager." Lila said, getting closer to Adrien while looking triumphant, her chest puffed out.

They then started walking down the halls.

Marinette made to follow, but Lila put her hand up as if shooing her away, saying, "Sorry, only authorized personnel beyond this point."

She shot a smirk at Marinette before pulling Adrien away. Marinette's face fell sadly, meanwhile Alya put a hand on her shoulder.

Marinette turned to Alya, who gave her a wink, and then dragged her away somewhere.

In one of the infirmary rooms, Adrien was sitting on the bed, his pants leg rolled up above the knee, and looking at Lila with a subtle look of revulsion in his face, like he was looking at a giant cockroach.

"Okay, here we go," Lila said as she put the poultice on the knee, and then wrapped the bandages on it. "Now pain, leave Adrien alone."

She then put her two fingertips to her lips before making a loud kissing noise, then tapped the bandage wound with her fingers.

She stood up.

"All done." Lila said.

"Thanks." Adrien replied neutrally before making to stand.

"Don't stand _yet_ ," Lila insisted, pushing him down by the shoulder. "Too early."

She leaned in to him while pushing him back, but he yelled in discomfort. She then sat on the bed next to him.

"Now it's _finally_ just the two of us." Lila spoke, leaning in close to him, unaware that the skin on his face was beginning to match his eye color.

Outside the building, Alya and Chloé were spying on them through the window. They were standing on the planters, meanwhile Marinette was standing off to the side.

"Uh-oh! Lila's got Adrien! And she _definitely_ looks like she wants him!" Alya spoke.

"Looks like your instincts were on point as always, Alya!" Chloé agreed. "That girl's clearly a fan."

" _NOW_ she's leaning in closer and getting in his face. She's probably asking him out," Alya pointed out. Meanwhile, Marinette's expressions were rapidly changing from irritation to fear to worry, to jealousy, repeat. "Oh, _come on!_ She's getting closer! And she's _still_ disrespecting his space!"

"Hey, can we see?" Tikki asked as she and Nooroo flew out to look through the window. Trixx and Pollen were out, too.

"Hey, is she kissing him already?!" Trixx questioned.

 _"WHAT?!"_ Marinette near-shouted before jumping up to look inside. Lila was just holding Adrien by the arm while he was still looking at her in distaste.

Trixx was laughing. Once she calmed down, she told Marinette, "Just kidding!"

"That's not nice, Trixx!" Tikki hissed, while everyone else was looking at kwami, annoyed.

"But now at least we know Marinette's sweet on Adrien, no matter how much she protests otherwise and how much she insists she likes a certain guitarist." Trixx teased.

Marinette was quiet, pink in the face.

"So, Adrien, I wanna be your main squeeze." Lila said, fluttering her eyelashes before leaning her head onto his chest.

Adrien's eyes went wide and his stomach was churning like someone had diarrhea and he was about to flush the toilet. His face was about to match his eye color.

"Oh, _great!_ Now she's asking him to be her BF!" Chloé complained.

"Say what?!" Marinette spluttered.

"How about a date, huh?" Lila asked, purring her words.

Adrien's skin crawled again, asking, "A-A date?"

"Yeah," Lila confirmed as she bopped his nose with her finger. "We can get to know each other."

Adrien took a deep breath and looked Lila in the eye.

"Well, thing is..." Adrien began.

But Lila turned up puppy eyes at him, asking, "Unless you already have someone like that in your heart?"

Adrien pulled back, his face turning red as his thoughts briefly flashed to blue eyes.

"Ooh, Lila's now put Adrien on the spot, asking him if he's crushing on anyone else! How's he gonna answer?!" Alya reported vibrantly. Meanwhile, Marinette inched closer to the scene to peek.

"And it looks like Duchess Marinette finds this quiet intriguing." Pollen pointed out.

Marinette shivered before turning away.

Lila was still holding Adrien's arm, and she said, "I asked Mari about it, and she says you don't have anyone you like that way... That's she's aware of, that is."

"Mari... You mean Mariboo?" Adrien asked, making the connection.

"Yep, called her up last night," Lila giggled. "For advice, after all."

Adrien's eyes widened a bit, asking, "Hang on, you asked _Mariboo_ for advice about me?"

"Oh, AYFKM?!" Chloé asked, turning to Marinette. "Tell me you _didn't_ give _Lila_ advice about Adrien!"

"She was put on the spot," Tikki defended. "What could she do?"

"Mari told me that it's not worth going after you, considering how many fangirls your modeling career gets you." Lila spoke, running her fingers up his shoulder.

Adrien's skin tingled, almost like dirty insects were crawling up his body.

"W-Well, she's not wrong about that." Adrien admitted.

"You _did_ tell her to leave him alone because he's yours, right?!" Alya questioned.

"She _almost_ did." Nooroo laughed.

 _"NOOROO!"_ Marinette shouted as she shoved the kwami into her bag.

Adrien ripped his arm away and stood from the bed.

"Hey, what about our date?!" Lila asked, pissed.

Marinette looked on through the window, worried.

"Listen, there's no date," Adrien stated clearly. "I need to get back to the game."

He then left the room, while Lila called after him.

Marinette sighed before slumping down.

"And she breathes a sigh of relief." Alya stated.

"Wh-What?!" Marinette spoke, pulling away from the window.

"It's all over your face, girl," Alya pointed out. "You're an open book. We've seen how you've been looking at him lately."

"Yeah, ever since he was captured by Dark Cupid. You've been paying _extra_ close attention to him. Even with Luka in the picture, you're still giving Adrien the time of day." Chloé added.

Marinette sighed before saying, "Forget about it. Let's just get back to the game, okay?"

She started walking away.

Lila was sitting on the bed by herself in the room, thinking over her newfound emotions.

"I don't get it... I'm still so devoted to him, and I like him that much, but... He doesn't understand." Lila said.

She then growled before standing up. Her reflection in the wall mirror was her true self again, and she screamed, "Now I'm angry! _I WANNA TURN EVERY LOVING COUPLE INTO AN ICE CUBE!"_

She roared as black clouds surrounded her, and she changed back into Volpina. She furiously blew into her flute, conjuring up creatures that resembled Pokémon's Wartortle, but with more icicle features and they looked _far_ from cuddly and adorable.

In the hallways of the stadium, Marinette was heading up the group while they were walking back to their seats.

"I can't believe you had to pull us away from the match, Marinette," Chloé laughed. "But seeing your drama was _much_ more entertaining."

Trixx and Alya laughed in agreement, but Marinette put her arm out to block them, and she said, "Girls, hang on."

"What's up?" Alya asked.

"That." Tikki said.

Up ahead was a couple who was at a vending machine, but they were frozen in a large block of ice.

"Wow, what the hell's going on here?" Chloé asked as the girls went to investigate. "They're frozen, but... It isn't cold for some weird reason?"

"Think their romance has cooled off to the point where they've frozen solid, my queen?" Pollen suggested.

"That's not likely," Alya said, pointing out their body language. "See how close they are? They're holding hands, and snuggled up close."

"Alya's right," Marinette agreed. "Nooroo, can you give us any insight?"

"This is the work of the Sea Ice Turtles." Nooroo spoke.

"Sea Ice Turtles?" Chloé asked.

"They're a group of akuma servants that can freeze happy couples. Literally!" Nooroo informed.

Speaking of happy couples, one pair of spectators was walking to leave the stadium, and they were snuggling up to each other. The woman was cuddled up against him, and he was holding her by the waist with one hand while using his other hand to hold hers.

"I'm starving. I could go for a nice _croque Madame_ right about now." The young lady said.

"Me too, honey bunny." The young man said before kissing her cheek.

 _"Your happiness is hateful!"_ One of the Sea Ice Turtles spoke. _"Feel the rage of Lady Volpina!"_

"Wait, what are _these_ things?" The young man spoke.

Instead of getting an answer, the Sea Ice Turtles opened their beaks and fired something akin to a Pokémon's Ice Beam out of their mouths. They froze the couple dead in their tracks, like a popsicle.

"That should cool you guys off!" The lead turtle laughed while the others laughed along. "Now, who's the next group?"

 _"Enough!"_ Marinette shouted.

The turtles turned to see the girls and kwamis approach.

 _"Lucky Wedding Flower!" "Cunning Wedding Flower!" "Growing Wedding Flower!" "Bridal Change Go! Wedding Dress Transform!" "Angel Creation Ladybug!" "Angel Illusion Rena Rouge!" "Angel Subjection Queen Bee!"_

 _"Ladybug!"_

 _"Rena Rouge!"_

 _"Queen Bee!"_

 _"THANKS FOR WAITING!"_ The trio chanted while taking out their weapons.

"We'll turn these Love Angels into ice cubes!" The lead turtle shouted before they all shot their ice beams at them.

Rena Rouge got behind Ladybug and Queen Bee, who blocked the ice blasts with their weapons.

"We'd better be careful," Queen Bee said as she and Ladybug took a few steps back. "Bees don't do ice!"

"I'm a _red_ fox, not an _Arctic_ fox! I'm not ready for this cold!" Rena added.

"Ladybug's aren't winter insects either, but we need to save the prattle for later! Queen Bee, go for it!" Ladybug spoke.

Queen Bee retracted her top before spinning it around, shouting, _"Venom Spin!"_

She let the top loose to do its paralysis magic, only for the turtles to blast it in ice, stopping it in its tracks.

Queen Bee then summoned up her baton, shouting, _"Bride's Bashfulness! Honey Star Shower!"_

As the turtles fired their ice again, the bee lights swirled around the beams, causing them to melt back into water that fell onto the floor.

Rena got her wand out of her Miraculous Something Borrowed, before allowing it to glow.

 _"Love's Tribute Candle! Miraculous Fantasies!"_ Rena Rouge hollered.

The fox tail lights were stunning the turtles, and they were screaming in pain. But then they jumped out of the way and above the angels, before all fusing together to create a giant version of themselves.

It looked more like a Blastoise with the same ice features and tail as a Wartortle.

"The bigger they are, the harder they fall," Ladybug said before getting the Lady's Crystal out. _"Lady's Crystal!"_

The giant Sea Ice Turtle fired a bigger ice beam at the angels. But it looked more like a Blizzard attack than anything if one was thinking in Pokémon terms.

But Ladybug was once again sucking up the blizzard into the crystal, and the huge amount of akuma energy was causing the crystal to glow brighter and brighter.

Ladybug jumped up with her yo-yo, before shouting, _"Engagement Present! Lady's Crystal! L'amour Pour Vous!"_

She fired the love waves at the turtle. All of the sharp, dark features softened, the eyes became big, sparkly-eyed and cute, the icicle features melted, and the turtle smiled in bliss.

 _"Aw, these warm love waves are warming my heart!"_ He said before disappearing into a cloud of sparkles.

Lila paused in her walk, feeling her brain thumping, and she turned around before saying aloud, "Hmph. The Sea Ice Turtles have been defeated by the Love Angels."

She smirked and said, "But it won't be long before I destroy them and take the Miraculous Something Four from them."

She then walked back out to the field.

Adrien was fencing without any problem, almost like he'd never been hurt to begin with.

He'd landed a hit on his opponent with his épée before shouting, _"Touché!"_

The whistle blew to approve Adrien's move and score. The next round started, and Adrien lunged at the other fencer, his mask down.

On the sidelines near the bench, Lila was still watching.

 _'I'm gonna make you mine, Adrien,'_ Lila thought, as she thought of how her DNA strands were pounding. _'After all, my DNA is tingling, and for the very first time.'_

"Go for it, Adrien!" Lila squealed.

 _"Adrien! Do your best!"_ Marinette screamed from her chair.

Adrien parried one more move before knocking the other épée out of the person's hand and holding the sword at the face. The blonde was smiling underneath his mask.

* * *

 **THIS is why I'm dreading this arc! But like this pandemic, I'll get through it and come out stronger (and with more pleasant and non-Lila related drama in this show). At least it's not as uncomfortable as I was making it out to be. But still, writing about Lila is a really angering experience. I don't know how Astruc and the rest of the official Miraculous Ladybug writers do it.**

 **I was also thinking of using Frozer here, but I felt like the situation didn't really fit because Frozer was capable of freezing Paris and turning it into an ice rink, meanwhile the devils in this episode of Wedding Peach were only capable of freezing people with ice blasts from their mouth. It just didn't work. And how was I supposed to incorporate the ice power-ups here, too?**

 **See how Lila was getting in Adrien's space like she does in canon, how she's giving Marinette a hard time? Not as bad as in the show, but still. At least Adrien's being more firm about his boundaries in this one instead of in canon where he's got the spine of a jellyfish who lets people get in his space all the time, and is as dense as 6" thick cast iron when it comes to his own feelings as well as those of others.**

 **And Marinette's doing her best to keep it together throughout it all. I want to retain her character development here in how she handles jealousy.**

 **The good news is that it's only gonna last for another seven chapters, and luckily at least three of them aren't even going to FOCUS on Volpina.** **And Lila's lying skills and sneakiness aren't gonna be as good here as they are in canon, too. In short, she won't be as competent as she is in the real show, so everyone relax.**

 **And about Lila taking on the role of team manager: maybe I watch and read too much anime and manga, but I don't think it's unusual for students to manage the sports teams at school. I think that might be a real thing. Hey, if Kagami were a real person, maybe she could tell us!**

 **Also,** **we'll be seeing more of Renapace, and I promise you that in a few chapters, we'll see Kagami/Ryuuko make her debut.**

 **Alright, in the next chapter, with the weather growing colder while the love in their hearts burns hotter, Marinette's knitting a muffler while teaching her friends how to knit, too. But who's her muffler going to be for? And then the girls have a case of travel trouble when Volpina's dirty work starts creating doors around school that transport people to random locations!**


	32. Knitting a Love-Filled Muffler!

**Alright, here we go!**

 **Winter's rolling around, so Marinette is knitting a muffler for Luka while teaching the others how to knit, too. But Lila/Volpina is up to her tricks, conjuring up an akuma that creates doors that transports everyone to different places. Not good!**

* * *

At the Dupain-Cheng household, Marinette was up in her bedroom in her pajamas.

She sitting on her chaise lounge while knitting something with baby blue woolen yarn, while the ball was sitting on the floor next to a knitting supply bag. The fashion designer had a book on her lap. Tikki and Nooroo were sleeping on the lounge.

"Okay, next step..." Marinette murmured.

Nooroo, tossing and turning, rolled into Tikki before falling into the bag.

"Ah!" Nooroo shouted. He and Tikki started bonking into each other, trying to get out of the bag.

"Hey! Nooroo, Tikki!" Marinette shrieked a bit as she looked into the bag. "Are you two okay?!"

"We're fine," Tikki replied as she and her butterfly kwami buddy flew out of the bag. The red kwami yawned loudly and asked, "But Marinette, do you have any idea what time it is?"

"No, why?" Marinette questioned.

Nooroo pressed his hand on the spacebar button on the computer keyboard, waking the computer up from sleep.

"It's past midnight! You should be in bed by now." Nooroo reported.

"Wow, I can't believe I lost track of time like that," Marinette spoke. "I've been at this since... What, seven? Over five hours! That's nuts. I still want to get more done, though..."

"I'm still having a hard time believing that you've finished that much. That wasn't even distinguishable when you first started earlier." Tikki praised.

"Thanks, Tikki," Marinette said before hugging it close. "I've started knitting this muffler with my own two hands for Luka. I can't wait to give it to him once it's done!"

"What do you want to happen, Marinette?" Tikki enthusiastically asked.

"Well, when I give him the muffler..." Marinette swooned.

 _Luka was wearing the baby blue muffler around his neck, and smiling at Marinette._

 _"Marinette, this is amazing, it's so well-made! I feel every little bit of love you've put into this muffler! And it matches my color scheme, too." Luka spoke._

 _"It matches your eyes, actually," Marinette shyly replied. "I knew that color would work!"_

 _'Then what?' Tikki asked._

 _'Then...' Marinette began._

 _Luka took the longer end of the muffler and wrapped it around Marinette's neck._

 _"I want to share this gift with the extraordinary girl who made it for me." Luka said before pulling her closer._

 _'Luka and I can share the muffler.' Marinette squealed._

 _Marinette snuggled up against Luka and she leaned her head against his chest. But she noticed that her muffler was longer than she remembered. She looked down the other end..._

 _"Hey, Mariboo!" Adrien said with a wave. The rest of the muffler was around his neck._

 _"AAAH!" Marinette screamed._

 _*POOF*_

"UGH!" Marinette moaned as she kept knitting. "Why is it that every time I have a good Luka fantasy, Adrien has to go and interrupt it?!"

Marinette felt resistance in the yarn, and she looked down to see her red kwami was sitting on the yarn ball.

"Tikki, what are you doing?" Marinette giggled.

"Trying to get you to stop and sleep, silly!" Tikki laughed, but she saw Nooroo playing with one of the red yarn balls that Marinette had made.

"Wanna play?" Nooroo asked before throwing the yarn at Tikki. She giggled, caught the yarn and then threw it back to Nooroo.

"Hey, be careful!" Marinette laughed. "What are you two, kittens?!"

The kwamis laughed in response along with their owner.

"But I guess it _is_ time for me to hit the hay. Wanna make sure I'm fighting fit for class, and any akuma attacks." Marinette yawned before putting her project in the bag.

She turned out the lights, bid her kwamis a good sleep, and climbed up to her loft bed before letting sleep hit her.

At school the next day...

"Ta-da!" Marinette said, presenting her project. The design was teal blue with some black thrown in as an accent, with a very complex textured cable stitch. "Check it out! This muffler's almost done!"

"That's awesome, girl," Alya praised. "That's a lot of progress for only one night."

"Thanks, Alya," Marinette said as she examined her friend's project. "And you seem to be making some headway, too."

Alya's muffler was a simple garter stitch, and she used orange yarn that was made with alternating shades of orange and white in it.

"Not as much as you, but still a decent amount." Alya sighed.

"Well, you two seem to be doing fine on your projects," Chloé said as she approached, hands behind her back. "Not like me."

"What do you mean by _that_ , Chloé?" Marinette asked. "You didn't get the butler or your mom to help you out with yours, right?"

"Ugh, no way! We were clear that if you taught me how to knit, I would be doing it all by myself," Chloé insisted. "You'll be as surprised as I was by my ability."

"I can't wait to see what _you've_ come up with, Chloé." Alya said.

"Can you show us what you've gotten done so far?" Marinette requested.

Chloé looked hesitant and worried for a brief second before regaining composure.

"No way," Chloé spoke, turning her face away. "Showing you unfinished product? Not happening, girls. Come on, Marinette, you know that's poor form for fashion design."

Alya noticed that Chloé was holding something behind her back - a knitting bag.

"Oh, your bag!" Marinette said as she took it and started looking around.

"Hey! Marinette, don't-... Oh, _crap_." Chloé spoke, then face-palmed when she saw Marinette had found... Whatever it was.

It was made of yellow sparkle yarn, but it was crap handiwork. It was small, almost like it was still in its beginning stages. There were stitches dropped in several places, huge gaps in some spots, and some attempts at switching color yarns were clearly botched.

"...You're right. I'm surprised at how poorly-done this is." Marinette stated, giving Chloé a look that said, "Are you for real?"

"It's just a work in progress!" Chloé protested, blushing.

"Didn't you say you were trying to knit yourself a cardigan?" Alya asked, crossing her arms.

"In the beginning," Chloé admitted, her brain conjuring up images of her failures. "But then I screwed up the directions Marinette gave me, so I decided to make it into a blazer..."

"And then what?" Marinette asked.

"But I botched _that_ up, too, so I tried turning it into a vest, but then that didn't turn out the way I planned, either." Chloé admitted.

"Were you even paying attention to Marinette's instructions, Chloé?" Alya asked.

"Of course I was!" Chloé insisted as her visual story kept going. "And once my vest idea went in the trash, I decided to go the muffler route like you two, but even _that_ didn't go well, so I switched gears to try and make them into mittens."

"But those have fingers." Marinette commented.

"I know!" Chloé spat in frustration. "A little bee wouldn't stop buzzing about that, so I decided to turn them into mittens. Yet again, it didn't work, so now it's a wool handkerchief!"

Chloé hung her head in shame while Alya and Marinette were looking at the failed product.

"W-Well, it's not the worst I've ever seen. Maybe I can help fix it from here?" Marinette suggested.

"Please!" Chloé pleaded.

"Hey, what are you three talking about?" Lila piped up, approaching the girls. "Oh, what's this you're doing? May I join in and do it, too?"

Chloé changed the subject and said, "Hey, isn't it almost time for lunch, girls?"

"Yeah, it is," Alya agreed. "Shall we go and eat, then?"

"Let's go," Marinette said before saying, "See you, Lila."

The girls left Lila alone, and the disguised akuma awkwardly said, "Well, fine, then. I know when I'm not wanted."

As the girls made to leave the classroom, Adrien stopped by. He said, "Hey, Mariboo?"

"Oh, hi Adrien," Marinette casually said. "So, what's up?"

"Listen, _maman's_ been talking about holding a design competition," Adrien explained to her. "You want to be a fashion designer, right? You should enter it."

"I should?" Marinette questioned.

"I've seen your work," Adrien said. "I think you've got a really good chance of winning it."

"Really?" Marinette asked, delighted at the praise. "So, what other details of the competition are there?"

"Great!" Adrien said. "The subject is derby hats, and..."

While Marinette and Adrien were talking, Lila was watching, her fists balled, growling, and fire in her eyes.

 _'What the hell?! So Marinette's making a move on MY Adrien, huh?!'_ Lila thought, her teeth grit.

She snuck over to Marinette's knitting bag, looked around to see if anyone was watching, and slipped her hand in. Recognizing the hand didn't belong to Marinette, Tikki and Nooroo squeezed themselves against the walls of the bag.

 _"What is she doing?!"_ Nooroo mouthed to Tikki.

Tikki mouthed back, _"I don't know!"_

The kwamis balked when they saw Lila grab the muffler and pull it out.

"Aha, here it is," Lila said, glowering at it. "So, she thinks she can steal Adrien away from me by giving him a handmade muffler?! We'll see about _that._ "

Lila took the needle out and made to unravel it...

 _"HEY!"_ Alya shouted, her phone out. She and Chloé were approaching, angry looked on their faces. Chloé was coming from behind Lila, meanwhile Alya was coming from Lila's right. _"What do you think you're doing?!"_

"Looks like she's trying to wreck Marinette's muffler," Chloé said, angrily. "You do realize that fashion designers **_hate_** when their work is tampered with, **_RIGHT?_** "

"Yeah! How dare you try and do that?!" Alya said as she revealed that she had a video of Lila stealing the muffler out of the bag on her phone, including everything Lila said.

"Yeah! Marinette worked her ass off on that!" Rose roared. "How could you? That's so mean!"

"Not cool, Lila. _Not cool_." Juleka agreed.

Lila scrambled to put the muffler back in the bag, then stood up and stammered, "Um, well, it's so well-made that I-I wanted to take it apart a little bit to see how she did it."

"Oh, really?" Alix asked, her arms crossed and looking at Lila in rage. "I don't believe that for one second!"

The others were glaring at Lila, all agreeing with Alix.

"It's a beautiful muffler. I don't think I've ever seen one that wasn't commercially-made that looks so professional. So... I..." Lila began, trying to cover up her deed.

"If you admired it so much, then why didn't you just ask Marinette to teach you how to knit instead of _stealing_ her muffler and trying to destroy it?" Alya interrogated.

Instead of answering, Lila just slipped away, running out of the room.

Later on, Marinette and company were talking with the rest of the girls about knitting. They even informed Marinette of Lila's attempt to ruin her work.

"Thanks for looking out for me, you guys," Marinette said, before an idea dawned on her. "Hey, why don't we all get together and have a knitting party here in the classroom later? I can teach you guys how to knit."

"Great idea," Myléne agreed. "We can talk and knit at the same time!"

"I don't think knitting and talking at once is something I can do." Rose said.

"You don't _stop_ talking when you get the chance, Rose." Alya laughed.

The others laughed, too.

"Let's get together with our knitting supplies here in the classroom after school. What do you think?" Marinette suggested.

"Great idea," Chloé agreed. "Lord only knows I need help. Marinette, you have _got_ to coach me!"

"Sure thing, Chloé, but make sure to try a few things on your own, too." Marinette said.

"Whatever." Chloé agreed.

Lila was spying on them, peeking into the room and eavesdropping on them. But as she kept listening, she growled at being excluded from the events.

She went to the stairwell, saying, "Now I'm _angry!_ "

She changed back into Volpina, took her flute out and blew into it. Black lightning struck into the room, and a small creature that looked like a sliding door with arms and legs, and a face appeared.

"I answer your summons, Lady Volpina," The door creature spoke. "I am Doorman!"

Doorman looked at Volpina, saw she was upset, and said, "Ah, I see you're angry. I shall get rid of your trigger right now, my lady!"

He stood in such a way that it was almost like he disappeared, much to Volpina's discomfort.

Back in the classroom, Rose and Juleka came into the room, each with knitting bags in hand.

"Oh, looks like Marinette and the others aren't here yet," Rose said as she and Juleka went to the bench to knit. "Let's get started, Juleka! I'm having some trouble with this simple cable stitch..."

Juleka wasn't paying any attention, instead looking at the front of the room where Mlle. Bustier's desk was. Instead of the desk and blackboard, there was a sliding door in its place.

"A sliding door?" Juleka muttered.

Rose and Juleka went up to investigate. The two of them approached the door, and Rose said, "I don't remember a sliding door here. It's weird."

"I wonder..." Juleka murmured as she opened the sliding door... to reveal a dimensional rift in dark purple with white and black swirls.

"Uh-oh!" Rose spoke.

But before she and Juleka could escape, the door interior flashed white, they were captured in the threshold, and then the door flipped, throwing them into the dimensional rift.

The girls screamed.

 _"I am Doorman! Welcome to MY world!"_ Doorman's voice echoed from nowhere.

"What's going on?!" Rose squealed.

 _"Have fun in my world! Just don't flip out!"_ Doorman said.

Chloé opened the door to the classroom and said, "I'm here."

She saw that Alix was in the room, looking at the table in concern. She then looked up at Chloé, and said, "Hey, Chloé."

"Where are the others?" Chloé asked as she aproached the table.

"Rose and Juleka should've been here by now," Alix reported. "I wonder where they could be?"

"Maybe they flaked and went home?" Chloé suggested.

"No way, their knitting stuff is still here." Alix stated, pointing out the knitting bags that were still on the table.

"Alright, then..." Chloé began as she started looking around, only to notice the door. "Hold on..."

She and Alix approached the door, and Chloé said, "I don't remember this door being here before."

 _'And I think I know why...'_ Chloé thought. She reached inside her bag to see if she could sneak Pollen out for a confirmation, but...

"Neither do I," Alix agreed before reaching for it. "Let's see..."

"Are you stupid?! Don't-" Chloé warned.

Too late. Alix slid the door open, revealing the other dimension again, and now she and Chloé were inside, the purple, black, and white swirling around them.

"What _is_ this?!" Alix shouted.

 _"I am Doorman! Welcome to my world!"_

"What do you want from us?!" Chloé demanded.

 _"Have a good time! And please, don't flip out!"_ Doorman yelled as another door appeared.

It slowly opened, and the girls were blinded by white light.

Alix and Chloé found themselves in the middle of a jungle. They were trudging around, trying to find a way out, everything. They had to duck giant bugs, the occasional wild animal, and the weather.

"Exactly how long have we been walking around in this place?!" Chloé complained. "It feels like it's been hours! And my hair is frizzing up!"

"Forget about that," Alix snipped, sarcastic as ever. "How are we going to get home?!"

Chloé saw another door on a tree up ahead, and she said, "Ugh, _finally!_ Another door!"

Chloé ran up to the door, opened it, but instead of the classroom, they were standing on a shallow cliff overlooking the ocean. There was a lighthouse behind them, and on the stormy, turbulent waters was a boat.

"Oh, are you kidding me?!" Chloé shouted. "Where are we _now?!_ Maine?! And now I'm getting this stupid urge to sing sea shanties!"

 _"Every door you open will lead you to another world."_ Doorman explained from out of nowhere. _"It's so much fun, just don't flip out!"_

Chloé groaned before face-palming.

On a beach in another world, Rose and Juleka were standing in front of another door that was just standing upright on the beach, without any rocks or whatever as a threshold.

"How many doors does this make?" Rose asked Juleka, who just shrugged in response.

Rose opened the next door, and in the next instant, the two of them were surrounded by holstein cows in a pasture in the middle of the Swiss Alps.

"Eek! What do all these cows want?!" Rose screamed as she hugged Juleka, listening to the alphorn that was being played off in the distance.

Back in the classroom, Marinette and Alya had come in.

"Hey girl," Alya said. "The girls are gone."

The kwamis came out of hiding as they went over to the table to investigate.

"Why would they have left without taking their knitting supplies with them?" Tikki questioned aloud.

"Chloé's stuff is here, too." Trixx pointed out.

"They couldn't have just up and left and went home." Marinette stated.

"I don't think they did - look!" Alya said, pointing out the door.

"A sliding door?" Marinette said. "And not only that, I don't remember this being here before."

"Neither do I." Alya agreed.

"Be careful!" Nooroo shouted as he came in front of the girls. "I'm sensing wicked energy from this door!"

He flew in front of the door, flew around it like a fly over a stale pile of cookie batter, and turned around.

"We've got a problem! This was created by an akuma servant called Doorman, who's capable of controlling dimensions." Nooroo informed.

"Dimensions?" Tikki asked.

"Anyone who enters this door winds up caught in an insane labyrinth of other worlds." Nooroo added.

"So this door connects to other worlds?" Alya summarized.

"Bingo!" Nooroo stated.

"So, Chloé, Alix, Rose..." Marinette began.

"They've stepped through this door into another world!" Nooroo stated.

"Not good," Alya said. "We'd better go in and get them."

"Bad idea!" Nooroo protested. "If you and Lady Marinette go in there, you'll get stuck in that labyrinth of other worlds, too! You won't be able to get out!"

"Do you have any better ideas, Nooroo?" Trixx asked.

"No..." Nooroo admitted in shame. "But we need to find a way to rescue them and fast! So long as they stay in there, the most lost they'll get in that maze."

"What are we going to do?" Tikki asked aloud.

Marinette's face lit up as if a lightbulb went off in her head, and she said, "I have an idea! Alya, you know that old story "Hansel and Gretel?""

"Yeah, so?" Alya questioned.

"Remember how the siblings used a trail of pebbles to get back home when they were abandoned in the woods the first time?" Marinette asked. "Why don't we try the same thing, only we use a lengthy string instead of rocks or stones?"

"Go on..." Trixx spoke.

"Okay, we take a long string and tie it tightly near the entrance of the door, and we just keep holding on to it as we go through the labyrinth," Marinette explained, as a visual fantasy explaining the scenario appeared over her head. "Once we find Chloé and the others, we just follow the string to get back out!"

"Awesome idea, girl!" Alya said, and the two of them shared a fist bump. "Now all we need is the string."

Marinette nodded and took her muffler out of the bag. Everyone looked at it and realized what Marinette intended.

"Marinette, you're not thinking of unraveling it, are you?" Alya asked. "You worked so hard on it, and it's almost done!"

"Alya, do you see anything else around here that would work that wouldn't involve wrecking anyone else's projects without their permission?" Marinette questioned.

"No." Alya replied.

"This isn't a big deal," Marinette insisted. "I can always start over. Our friends are in trouble, we need to rescue them, so this is a small sacrifice to pay."

"Oh, how selfless of you, Lady Marinette!" Nooroo cried, tears pouring out like a fountain.

Alya had opened the door. Meanwhile, Marinette had unraveled a good portion of her muffler, and tied the end of it to one of the table legs.

"This should do it. Let's go!" Marinette said.

The group went into the door, the string trailing behind them. They were walking through the dimensional rift, and more string was coming out of Marinette's knitting back. Inside, Trixx, Nooroo, and Tikki were unraveling the muffler.

"Who knew unraveling was so much fun?" Nooroo laughed.

"Nooroo, show a little respect!" Trixx insisted.

"Yeah! Marinette worked so hard on this!" Tikki added.

"Sorry..." Nooroo wilted.

Marinette held the yarn strand in her hand, and looked at it, depressed. Her mind was conjuring up the memories that she had of making the muffler. Asking her dad to help her turn the yarn she bought into balls, showing Alya and Chloé how to knit (with Chloé struggling and the kwamis sitting and offering advice), and several sleepless nights getting it done.

"Don't worry, girl," Alya said, her hand on Marinette's shoulder. "You're a top-notch designer. You'll start over and get it finished lickety-split."

"Thanks, Alya," Marinette thanked, perking up. "Now let's get going and get our friends back!"

Outside, Volpina had appeared in a puff of fox fire in the classroom. She approached the door.

"Good, looks like they've all gone into Doorman's labyrinth," Volpina stated. But she noticed the string tied to the table. She knelt down to examine it. "What's _this?_ "

She plucked it like plucking the string on a guitar or harp, and it vibrated. She also saw that it was going inside the door.

Her eyes narrowed in suspicion before standing up. She said, "I wonder..."

She entered the door.

Marinette and Alya were walking through the alpine area, shouting names.

 _"JULEKA! CHLOÉ!"_ Marinette shouted.

 _"WHERE ARE YOU GIRLS?!"_ Alya hollered.

 _"JULEKA!"_ Marinette screamed.

 _"MARINETTE!"_ Rose shouted from up over a hill.

Rose and Juleka were running towards them from over the hill, waving at them.

"Marinette! Alya, you have no idea how happy we are to see you!" Rose wailed as she and Juleka ran to the others and leaped on to them, giving them hugs.

"You're okay!" Alya spoke.

"It's okay, we're here to get everyone out of here." Marinette said as Rose broke the hug.

"Really?!" Rose squealed.

"Yep," Marinette confirmed, pointing out her string. "Just follow the string and you'll get back to our world without any problem."

"But... That's your muffler." Rose said.

"Screw it, getting everyone back home more important," Marinette insisted. "Hurry and go. We'll be back soon."

Rose and Juleka gave a nod before running off, following the string.

"Be careful out there!" Alya shouted.

"Let's keep going, come on!" Marinette shouted, as she and Alya kept running.

A little while later, they'd encountered yet another door and now they were in a desert environment. They were standing in the middle of some dunes, and Marinette was at the end of her string.

Alya had unraveled part of her muffler and tied the end of the string to Marinette's.

"Too bad we couldn't have done this on just my yarn." Marinette spoke.

"No biggie, girl," Alya stated. "Kwamis, unravel away!"

"Yay!" Nooroo cheered as he flew for the muffler. The other kwamis started to undo the knitting, too.

 _"MARINETTE! ALYA!"_ Alix shouted from the distance.

The kwamis ducked and hid.

Alix ran over to the girls, holding her rollerblades in her hands, having switched them out for her sneakers.

"Thank _GOD!_ " Alix said, breathing a sigh of relief. "Chloé and I got separated a little way's back. I've been on my own for awhile."

"Don't worry," Alya said, showing Alix the string system. "Just follow the string and you'll get back to the classroom without any problem."

"What about you two?" Alix questioned.

"We're going to find Chloé first, then get back," Marinette said. "Now go on, hurry."

"Thanks! See you back there!" Alix said before taking off after the yarn.

Back at the beach area, Rose and Juleka ran out of the door and kept going, running after the string.

But Volpina was watching from a nearby boulder further up the way.

"So, all you have to do is follow the string to get back to the real world," Volpina spoke in a growl before approaching the string. She held up her flute and magically turned it into a pair of craft scissors. "But not for long."

Chloé had found herself in a snowy environment, but she was lying on her stomach in the snow, and it was piling up on her. She was shivering, as was Pollen.

"Damn it... Is this how it ends?!" Chloé asked, her teeth chattering. "Why didn't I knit a sweater or something?!"

"S-S-Stay strong, my q-q-queen!" Pollen pleaded, shivering. "Bees don't survive in the cold."

But Chloé ended up falling asleep.

After what seemed like an infinite amount of time, Chloé found herself feeling warm while her body felt like it was in a different position.

 _"Chloé... Chloé, wake up!"_ Marinette voice shouted in the distance.

 _"My queen, you must awake!"_ Pollen hollered.

Chloé stirred, only to find herself lying in the snow, her head on Marinette's lap, and looking up at her friends and the kwamis.

"Ugh... What happened?!" Chloé asked, sitting up.

"We found you buried in the snow." Marinette explained.

"Good thing Pollen was buzzing as loud as she was, otherwise we wouldn't have been able to find and dig you up, Chloé." Alya added.

"Thanks, girls." Chloé thanked, smiling at her friends.

"Everything's going to be fine!" Nooroo cheered, only for him to get yanked by the string.

He shouted, and the other kwamis pulled back on the string to get him back, a la tug-o-war. They breathed a sigh of relief once they got back.

"Is everything okay?" Marinette asked.

"Something's tugging the other end!" Tikki reported.

 _"What?!"_ The girls shouted.

On the beach, Volpina was trying to cut the yarn, but it wasn't as straightforward as it looked. In fact, it was like she was using heavy-duty shears on a 4 inch thick stake of wood. She forced the scissors to cut as hard as she could, tried yanking it around to try and make a cut, but no luck.

She yanked again, only for pink lightning to shock her through the string. She screamed, and the energy was strong enough that one could see her skeleton for a split second. She fell over on to her back, sat up, and coughed out smoke.

"What the _hell_ was that?!" Volpina spat. _"DOORMAN!"_

On cue, her servant appeared.

"At your service, Lady Volpina," Doorman said. "So, you want this yarn severed? No problem!"

He conjured up a pair of bolt cutters and tried cutting the yarn, but the pink electricity zapped _him_ , too.

The yarn was charged with the same pink energy, and on the other end where the angels were, they and their kwamis were pulling on the yarn, determined. Their hands were charging the yarn with the power of their love.

"Someone's really trying to cut that yarn!" Nooroo reported.

"There's no way they can cut it!" Alya said with a smile.

"We knitted our hearts, souls, and passion into every single stitch of these mufflers!" Marinette added.

"This isn't just your average discount yarn!" Chloé agreed. "It's filled with Marinette and Alya's true feelings for the intended recipients!"

"Not to mention the ever-powerful love waves!" Nooroo laughed.

Doorman had switched out the bolt cutters for a chainsaw, turned it on high, and hammered down on the yarn. But yet again, the love waves sent an electric shock through both Doorman _and_ Volpina, who was _also_ holding the yarn.

The two akumas collapsed on the sand, their eyes spirals, and dizzy.

The group was following the yarn, and they came upon the beach area.

"Aha!" Nooroo shouted, pointing out the akumas. "Doorman dead ahead! And Volpina's there, too!"

"So Doorman and the Rena Rouge rip-off were the ones trying to sever the yarn, huh?" Rena said.

"We're not going to be forgiving this evil any time soon!" Queen Bee said.

 _"Copies, attack!"_ Doorman shouted, firing off multiple duplicates of himself at the angels. They evaded the attack.

 _"Bridal Change Go! Wedding Dress Transform!" "Angel Creation Ladybug!" "Angel Illusion Rena Rouge!" "Angel Subjection Queen Bee!"_

"We've put our hearts into our craft," Ladybug said, holding a pair of knitting needles. "We've knitting mufflers filled with love. It was a tragedy to unravel them on our own."

"So sad." Rena agreed.

"Now I'm mad!" Ladybug said as she put her needles away and started spinning her yo-yo.

"Fine by me," Volpina giggled, taking her flute out. "I've been looking around for you, too!"

She played her flute, conjured up crystal projectiles, and fired them at the angels, who either blocked or dodged.

 _"Go for it, Queen Bee!"_ Ladybug shouted.

"I'll never forget the pain I felt when I nearly died in the snow!" Queen Bee said. She summoned up her baton, shouting, _"Bride's Bashfulness! Honey Star Shower!"_

Volpina braced herself, but Doorman got in front of her.

"Get out of here, Lady Volpina!" Doorman instructed.

Volpina conjured up a portal and slipped through, just as the Honey Star Shower hit doorman, barely missing the imposter fox.

Rena Rouge got her wand out before shouting, _"Love's Tribute Candle! Miraculous Fantasies!"_

Doorman was directly hit by the fox lights, but he groaned out, "I'm not done!"

He opened his mouth and fired more akuma energy at the girls.

Ladybug had taken out her crystal, shouting, _"Lady's Crystal!"_

The crystal absorbed the energy inside, and it started glowing brightly.

 _"Engagement Present! Lady's Crystal, L'amour Pour Vous!"_ Ladybug shouted as she fired the white love waves at Doorman.

Landing a direct hit on Doorman, his facial expression went from a sinister scowl to a happy smile. He then said, "Love opens the door to so many great things! I'll be a door that brings people together!"

He evaporated into the sky in a cloud of sparkles.

The angels were standing on the beach, satisfied with their work. But an earthquake started immediately.

"What's going on?!" Rena asked.

"With Doorman gone, the dimensional labyrinth is gonna collapse!" Ladybug spoke as the beach disappeared into the purple-black dimensional rift.

"Look, an opening!" Nooroo pointed out, showing the girls another door.

"Let's run for it!" Ladybug shouted as the trio sprinted for the exit.

In a flash of white, everything was back to normal. Minus the angels, the girls in the classroom were asleep.

Alix stirred and woke up. Now alert, she stood up and shouted, "NO! Not the door! Marinette!"

"What's the matter, Alix?" Marinette asked as she put her knitting down.

"What's the matter?!" Alix asked before pointing to the wall. "On the inside of that sliding door's... Hang on..."

The door was gone.

"What are you talking about, Alix? Maybe you were dreaming or something?" Marinette suggested.

"It wasn't a dream! I'm serious!" Alix insisted.

"Ugh, your chin's wet, Alix." Chloé pointed out.

"Yuck!" Alix spat.

Outside the school, Lila was walking away from the building. She was thinking, _'Queen Mayura's right. The Love Angels_ have _to be students at this school. When we meet again, they'll learn a painful lesson.'_

She smirked as she continued to leave for her hideout.

With the girls, Marinette and Alya were looking at their yarn balls in disappointment.

"It's too bad that this is all that's left of my muffler," Marinette spoke. "But it's not the end of the world. I can always start over."

"Of course," Alya said. "And I'm sure Adrien would've appreciated the thought anyway!"

"...It wasn't for Adrien," Marinette stated. "I was gonna give it to Luka."

"Oh, really?" Chloé teased with a smile. "You and Adrien were getting pretty chatty earlier today."

"He was just telling me about a derby hat contest, and I'm already thinking of some ideas for it," Marinette informed, blushing. "Anyway back to the knitting needles the minute I get home and finish my homework. 'Kay?"

"Okay, girl. Just don't pull another late night like last night, okay?" Alya requested.

"Promise." Marinette agreed as the girls laughed.

* * *

 **Okay, that's that for this one! I'm sure for everyone, seeing Lila getting caught in the act and being unable to dig herself out was nothing short of satisfying. Certainly was for me. And writing this chapter made me want to go back to knitting!**

 **Coming up, Marinette and Adrien have a few more moments, and yet again, the school winds up under attack at the hands of Volpina, including a giant butterfly monster, forcing Carapace to intervene! But this time, the romance between our resident _real_ vixen and our teen turtle is the focus!**


	33. War-Born Romance!

**Okay! First off, I'm a bit disappointed about the zero reviews on the last chapter. Thought you guys would be happy to see Lila getting caught in her act and not get away with it for once.**

 **As far as romance goes, don't worry, Adrienette will have some moments, but Renapace is going to be the primary focus in this chapter.**

 **After Marinette brings Adrien to the nurse's office to tend to his wounds from a match, Lila's jealousy triggers her to attack the school with multiple duplicates of herself! And once again, Carapace has to intervene. But then we learn that the vixen and turtle romance is** ** _far_** **from new.  
**

* * *

Out on the field, the girls were once again watching the fencing team at their game.

"Go for it, Adrien!" The captain shouted.

"On it!" Adrien called back as he blocked someone's move, then landed a hit on the opponent.

 _"Nice move, Adrien!"_ Marinette shouted as she took pictures, paying special attention to the uniforms.

The girls decided to do a section on sports fashion for the blog, hence why they were hanging around the fencing team very often. The trio decided that Marinette would be in charge of photography and terminology definitions, meanwhile Alya would actually write the article. Chloé was there for other miscellaneous tasks for the project.

"Check out the captain's uniform, girl! Make sure you get a good pic!" Alya said.

"I will, Alya, but all the uniforms are the same!" Marinette laughed.

She continued to take pictures of the fencing team members, being sure to get everything from full profiles to head shots, to focusing on body parts for the uniforms.

The plan for the article was to explain the uniform's purpose, the terminology for the parts, amongst other things.

After a few shots...

"Hi! Can I look?!" Lila said as she bombed the next photo.

"Hey!" Marinette shouted in surprise, throwing her phone in the air. She caught it with both hands. "Lila, _what_ are you doing?! Don't go surprising me like that!"

"Well, Adrien's in at least _one_ of your pictures, right?" Lila asked, trying to be cute (didn't work).

She turned around to look at Adrien from a 135 degree angle from the right before coming up against Marinette and forming a "scene" with her fingers. She suggested to Marinette, "Maybe you should take a picture of him from this angle. What do you think?"

"Lila, I appreciate the advice, but I know what I'm doing." Marinette politely declined, _barely_ disguising her annoyance. But when she looked up, the girl was gone.

Lila was now standing next to Adrien out on the field. She was waving to Marinette, shouting, _"Hey Mari! Why not take a picture of me and Adrien together? Aren't we a cute pair?"_

"No!" Marinette protested, face-palming in annoyance.

After Adrien forcibly chased Lila off the field, the team went back to practice.

One fencer from the other team was charging at Adrien with her saber, meanwhile Adrien had his body in a stance, ready to attack. The girl lunged at him, he made to defend, but he zigged when he should have zagged. Not only was he touched with the saber, but he was knocked over.

He landed on his ankle, it bent a little bit, and he loudly yowled in pain before falling over onto his side.

The girls gasped, Nino shouted his best friend's name, and Lila cried, "No!"

The other fencers ran and gathered around Adrien. Nino held his hand out to help Adrien stand up, and asked, "You okay, dude?"

"I... I think I'm gonna be okay," Adrien said while the girls (and Lila) came over to check up on him. As Adrien tried to move, he put weight on his ankle, and he winced in pain, holding back a roar. "Or... Maybe not."

"Dude, you gotta get that looked at," Nino said. "Don't argue about this."

"You're probably right." Adrien agreed.

"I'll bring you over to the nurse's office." Lila purred, holding Adrien's arm.

Adrien didn't hesitate to push her away, saying, "No thanks."

"But..." Lila began to protest.

"We can't have our team manager leaving the field during a game this important." Adrien said.

Alya and Chloé looked at each other with mischievous smiles, and together, they shoved Marinette over to Adrien.

She stumbled into his arms, and he caught her. They looked up at each other, both blushing at one another. Marinette looked away, shyly.

"So, why doesn't _Marinette_ take Adrien to the nurse's office?" Alya suggested.

"Wha?!" Marinette squeaked.

"That should be a relief, captain," Chloé added. "This way Lila can stay on the field and do her job while your star player gets the treatment he needs."

"She's got a point, dude." Nino agreed.

"And it's a good fit. Marinette knows how to be gentle and nurturing with people when giving first aid." Alya spoke.

 _'Why?! Why are you doing this to me?!'_ Marinette thought, panic on her face. _'I only know how to give first aid because I'm constantly hurting myself either helping dad out or during my sewing projects!'_

Adrien moaned and slumped on his good foot.

"Adrien, you okay?" Marinette asked him. "Take my arm. I'll be your crutch."

"Thanks." Adrien thanked as he leaned on Marinette for support and started walking with her to the nurse's office.

"Adrien, no..." Lila cried, tears (most likely fake) streaming down her face.

"Don't get your hair in a knot," Chloé laughed. "It's not like those two are going to get up to anything they shouldn't be in a nurse's office."

"What?!" Lila asked, whirling on the others.

Alya laughed, saying, "Stop it, Chloé! There's no way!"

"Come on, Alya, things like that happen," Chloé scoffed. "Especially when a dapper young man gets treated with tender loving care by a cute nurse. I mean, who _wouldn't_ get all lovey-dovey in that situation?"

"Wh-What do you mean by "lovey-dovey?!"" Lila spoke, her eyes wide in panic, her imagination running wild.

 _~Fantasy~_

 _In the nurse's office, Adrien's shirt was off and he was lying on the bed, covered from the waist down and had a cold compress on his forehead, smiling at the nurse. Sitting on a chair besides the bed was Marinette. She was wearing a pink nurse uniform with a short skirt, cap on her head, and all._

 _Marinette was pressing a gauze dressing to a bandaged area of Adrien's arm. Adrien took his other hand and held hers._

 _Marinette blushed with a shy smile, looking at her patient._

 _"Mari, every cloud has a silver lining," Adrien admitted, also red in the face. "And the silver lining in me getting hurt is that if I hadn't, I wouldn't have learned what a sweetheart you really are."_

 _Marinette giggled before saying, "Oh, you..."_

 _Marinette sat on the bed, getting close to Adrien, only their silhouettes against the curtains_

 _~End of Fantasy~_

Lila started growling, her fists shaking, and fire surrounding her in rage.

"I hear the nurse's office, when it's just two people in love, all alone, the atmosphere can be _dangerous_." Chloé giggled.

 _"D-D-Dangerous?!"_ Lila shrieked, as the scene went black and white and she felt something crack.

 _~Fantasy Continuation~_

 _Adrien was now sitting on one of the tables, his shirt still off, and looking at Marinette. She had her stethoscope on, pressing the end to his chest._

 _"I feel your heart beating loud and clear, Adrien." Marinette reported._

 _"Listen to it, Mari," Adrien said, looking at her as if he were a man who had the woman he loved right where he wanted her. "Listen to it telling you my true feelings for you."_

 _Marinette continued to listen to his heart pounding, strong and clear. She blushed at the sound._

 _"Wow... You feel that way?" Marinette squealed. Adrien gave a nod._

 _Marinette ditched the stethoscope, letting it fall to the ground, and she leaned into Adrien's embrace. He hugged her back._

 _"I'm so happy to hear this!" Marinette sighed._

 _"I feel the same way." Adrien replied._

 _~End of Fantasy~_

"No, no, no, no, no!" Lila cried, tears streaming down her face. Chloé was giggling. Lila's emotions went from sorrow to rage. She shouted, "I won't let that happen! Adrien is _MINE!_ "

She ran off the field to chase after Marinette and Adrien.

Chloé started laughing, saying, "Ooh, those two will get close, and then rudely interrupted! How funny!"

"Chloé, if any drama goes down today, it's all your fault!" Alya scolded angrily.

Lila burst through the door of the nurse's office, and she gasped in shock, the scene turned black and something cracked.

Behind the curtain that hid the bed, she could see the silhouettes of Marinette and Adrien getting closer. Lila backed away hit the wall, and slid down. Her eyes were dizzy.

"Ow!" Adrien shouted.

"Sorry about that." Marinette apologized.

It turned out that Adrien was sitting up on the bed while sticking his hurt leg out, and Marinette was sitting in such a way that depending on the angle, _looked_ like it she and Adrien were snuggling up together.

Marinette was putting a dressing and bandage on his ankle with and ice pack on it.

"Now, give that leg some time to rest, okay?" Marinette requested.

"Okay," Adrien agreed. "Thank you, Marinette."

Adrien looked up at his "nurse," a blush on his face. Marinette was looking at him, too, mirroring his expression.

"Mariboo?" Adrien prompted.

"Yes?" Marinette replied.

"I..." Adrien began.

Outside, Lila snapped out of her dizzy spell, stood up and shouted, "What right does she think she has, laying her filthy hands on my Adrien?!"

She roared in anger, changed back into Volpina, and shouted, _"Now I'm angry! REVENGE!"_

Volpina blew into her flute and created duplicates of herself, for a total of six, including the real Volpina.

"Now I'm going to blanket the entire François-Dupont campus with my anger and hate!" She cackled.

The sky turned dark purple, and the school was turned the same color.

"Mariboo, I..." Adrien began, but as the room turned dark purple, he collapsed on the bed.

"Adrien!" Marinette shouted as she looked around.

Tikki and Nooroo came out, with the former saying, "Looks like we've got akuma trouble again."

"No kidding!" Marinette said before dashing out of the room.

Out on the fencing field, the fencers were shouting in pain as akuma electricity was pulsing through them, causing them to collapse on the ground.

Above them, the Volpinas were flying overhead, and she said in an evil, angry voice, "Hi, everyone! I'm Volpina, the adorable illusion akuma from the akuma realm. And you know what? I am _NOT_ happy!"

 _"ENOUGH,_ _VOLPINA!"_ Ladybug shouted.

She and her team jumped in, all decked out in their wedding dresses and ready for a fight.

"So, there you are, Love Angels!" Volpina said, her smirk wide as ever.

"You say _you're_ angry? Well, neither am I! Attacking innocent people in the middle of an important fencing game? You've got balls, I'll tell you that much!" Ladybug shouted as she started spinning her yo-yo again.

Volpina cackled again before telling Ladybug, "Go ahead and blow your top! I don't care!"

"Cocky, much?" Queen Bee said, crossing her arms.

"I think she's just acting that way because she's created duplicates of herself. Not sure if they're illusions or not, though." Nooroo explained.

"Let's be careful," Ladybug added. "I'm sensing a lot more evil coming from her than before."

"Got it, LB!" Rena spoke.

"Ready?" Ladybug asked her team.

 _"Bridal Change! Wedding Dress Transform!" "Angel Creation Ladybug!" "Angel Illusion Rena Rouge!" "Angel Subjection Queen Bee!"_

Queen Bee got her Miraculous Something Blue weapon out and she started spinning her baton.

 _"Bride's Bashfulness! Honey Star Shower!"_ Queen Bee hollered, firing her weapon. But she missed the two Volpina duplicates.

"How could I miss?! Ridiculous! Utterly-" Queen Bee began.

But the Volpinas took out their flutes, conjured up sharp, crystalline spears and fired them at Queen Bee. Queen Bee used her top as a shield, but the spears knocked her off her feet, throwing her into a nearby wall.

As another Volpina duplicate was flying around, Ladybug used her yo-yo to zip up onto the rooftops to chase after her.

"Hey! Get back here!" Ladybug shouted, but another duplicate fired more crystals at Ladybug.

She used her yo-yo shield to block it, but more were coming from another angle, so she jumped out of the way. Ladybug kept spinning her yo-yo while looking at the two Volpina's circling around her from overhead. Ladybug was looking at the two of them, trying to figure out how to determine which was the real Volpina.

Over with Rena Rouge, she was looking up at three duplicates.

"Alright, you phony fox! It's my turn to take you down!" Rena Rouge said.

She got her wand out, shouting, _"Love's Tribute Candle! Miraculous Fantasies!"_

"You know the drill!" The real Volpina said.

She and her two duplicates made a triangle formation, and orange akuma energy radiated from the three of them to create a triangle, which opened up a black hole of some sort. Rena's foxtail lights harmlessly flew into the hole, not even hitting one of the duplicates.

 _"What the hell?!"_ Rena shouted.

"Hah! This is the power of a cute girl writhing with jealousy and resentment! I'm more dangerous than a tiger ready to hunt!" Volpina cackled. "Now _we're_ going to be ones to win!"

Out of the triangle, two bright, solid teal eyes started glowing. A giant, dark purple butterfly with a huge stinger, massive wings, and fur around its body emerged from the dark.

 _"What the hell is that thing?!"_ Rena Rouge hollered.

Before she could dodge, the butterfly monster charged at Rena Rouge, and used its stinger to stab Rena Rouge in the arm, piercing the suit. The angel let out an anguished, bloodcurdling scream in response.

As the stinger wriggled about in Rena's skin, it started turning a sickly wine-purple color, spreading from the wound out. The butterfly took Rena in its legs, cackling in response at the success of the attack.

Rena was groaning while in the arms of the giant butterfly. The akuma poison was spreading fast, she was turning blue in the face from the toxins in her body, and unable to fight back as a result. She was groaning, trying to breathe, her heartbeat was accelerating, and she felt her muscles grow lax.

But there was a loud clang and the sentimonster vanished in a flash of red, after groaning in pain. Rena Rouge fell to her knees, breathing heavily, holding her arm for support, and coughing.

Up in the air was Carapace, who'd thrown his shield like a discus again.

"Rena, you okay?" Carapace asked as he caught his shield, landed, and went to check on the fox.

"Carapace..." Rena said weakly. "Boy, am I glad to see you..."

He saw the purple bruise on the arm, and he said, "Damn!"

He got down and took Rena's arm, before saying, "It's spreading fast. If I don't do something..."

"What..." Rena began.

He put his mouth to the wound and started sucking the poison out of Rena's arms.

"Hey, don't do that! You'd better not do that! If you do, the sentimonster's poison is going to overwhelm you, too!" Rena barked.

Carapace paused as a bolt shot through his head, an image of a helmet and visor going through his eyes. He looked at Rena, a breeze blowing around them. The two of them kept their eyes held on to each other.

"...Deja vu, dude," Carapace began. "I could've sworn something like this happened once in the past..."

"Huh?" Rena spoke, with a questioning look on her face.

Carapace once again saw an angel in an orange and white combat suit with the same helmet and visor, and fox ears coming out of her helmet. His eyes widened as Rena's reflection was in his iris and pupil. Rena's reflection was overlapped with that of the same helmeted angel.

 _"Hey, don't do that! You'd better not do that! If you do, the sentimonster's poison is going to overwhelm you, too!"_ Rena's words echoed in his mind.

"Rena Rouge... Rena, it _was_ you, after all!" Carapace spoke, as if he'd made a mental connection of some sort.

 _And explosion of white light occurred. On the battleground that was the angel realm, there were white orbs of light in the air that were going on and off frequently, explosions and the accompanying sounds ringing out, and more._

 _Out on one of the battlegrounds, which was under siege by Mayura's army of akumas and sentimonsters, was an angel in an orange woman's combat skirt and suit. She had an orange, white, and black helmet on her head (with a black visor over her eyes), fox ears coming out of her helmet, and holding on to a battle staff in a similar color scheme._

 _She was bracing herself from the occurring blast from one of the akumas. She then used her staff to fire off love wave blasts at some akumas and sentimonsters that were up in the air. She hit one, but the others returned fire. The angel jumped out of the way._

 _But another sentimonster, one resembling the Man-Bat from the Batman franchise, including huge eyes and bat wings, came up and grabbed her by the arm. She screamed._

 _"Curse you, angel! Learn to be our servants, and have a taste of the power of the akumas!" The akuma spoke before biting her in the arm._

 _She screamed in agony as the poison infected her. But something from behind slammed on the akuma, causing him to disappear in a flash of red. Then, Carapace, who was wearing slightly bulkier armor and had some blades on the edge of his shield, came up behind the angel as she was about to fall to the ground._

 _Carrying her like a princess in his arms, Carapace floated to a safer area in the angel realm. It was a lake that seemed to be in a cloud, with a rainbow ending at it, too. There was also a giant, glowing pink orb of light above the lake water._

 _He gently laid the angel down so she was sitting up. Carapace took her arm and examined the wound._

 _"Damn! It's spreading fast. If I don't do something..." Carapace said, before putting his lips against the wound and started sucking the poison out._

 _"Hey, don't do that! You'd better not do that! If you do, the sentimonster's poison is going to overwhelm you, too!" She protested._

 _But the color on the arm was receding as the poison was being removed._

 _"There, that should do it," Carapace said, pulling away. "How are you feeling, dudette?"_

 _"I'm feeling better now." She said, a blush on the lower part of her cheeks._

 _Carapace's face turned blue and he started groaning in pain from the poison. He stood up, his shouts becoming louder._

 _"Fight it! You have to fight it off!" The angel shouted in response, encouraging him to resist the hate._

 _He groaned in pain and grabbed his neck in a choking gesture, his cheeks growing red marks. He moaned out, "I know I can... Fight this with my love waves!"_

 _He started glowing the same color green as his suit, love waves bathing himself. The pain was agonizing, and his shouts became louder and louder as the pain got worse and worse._

 _But the marks were still on his face. He fell down to one knee, and groaned, "I... It's useless..."_

 _He turned to the angel._

 _"Angel, since I don't know your name... You can't let me become a servant of the akumas... There's only one thing to do: you need to..." He began, but he started groaning again, before the marks on his cheeks faded away for good._

 _"Kill me! You need to kill me right now, dudette!" Carapace shouted in pleading._

 _"No! I can't!" She refused._

 _"_ _Please! Hurry!" Carapace begged._

 _"I can't do it! I_ won't _do it! Don't you DARE ask me to do that ever again!" She angrily shot back._

 _Carapace stood up and looked at her, only for the sound of their enemies to roar out behind them. He turned around to see more akumas and sentimonsters coming at them from the air._

 _"Here they come!" He said, getting his bladed shield out. He did a discus throw at the akumas and sentimonsters with the shield, and when it collided with one sentimonster, the other akumas and sentimonsters exploded in white light._

 _Once it faded, Carapace retrieved his shield, put it back on his back, and turned to the angel. He pointed to the pink orb._

 _"Check it out: more love waves!" Carapace spoke. The angel looked at him in confusion, then over to the love wave orb. "True, Mayura's army's whittled the angel population down, but there are_ _hole-in-the-wall places around the angel realm where large_ _clusters of love waves continue to rule. They're like beacons of hope that we can restore the angel realm to the paradise that it once was before, dudette!"_

 _The angel turned back to Carapace after his spiel, and he told her, "Listen, Angel. I'm going to lead the akumas and sentimonsters right into that orb. Once they're in, I need you to fire your strongest love waves after us."_

 _"But if I do that, you'll get blasted to death, too!" She protested._

 _"Listen, all I want is to die as an angel, knowing I fought to protect this realm, dudette." Carapace told her. She held her breath, moved at his nobility._

 _The akumas and sentimonsters rose back up from the blast._

 _Carapace took this chance, he rose up, and flew away, leading the enemy._

 _The angel took her weapon, stood up and looked after him, tears streaming down her face, the sight of Carapace leading the enemies into the love wave orb reflected in her visor, all the way to seeing them fade away from sight._

"All I want is to die as an angel!" _Carapace's words echoed as he was fighting off the monsters inside the orb._

 _"My love wave will fight back with every drop of energy I have left!" She shouted, before spinning her staff, firing off orange and pink love wave bolts at the large love wave orb. She kept going until the scene faded to white._

 _Once all was said and done, the helmeted angel was running through the battlefield, where there were numbers of akumas and sentimonsters dead on the ground. But she didn't let the corpses faze her. She was looking around for Carapace. She gasped at what she saw up ahead._

 _She ran over to Carapace, who was lying on the ground, almost dead from the fight._

 _"No!" She shouted as she covered her mouth. "I... Can't save the person who saved me?! How can I let this happen?!"_

 _Her knees were wobbling, she was shaking, about to break down in tears..._

 _But again, Carapace started glowing green with love waves. His wounds were healing instantaneously, evaporating into sparkles. His suit was repaired, and all the dirt, grime, and soil that he sustained was washed away. He stirred and his eyes opened._

 _The angel sighed in relief as Carapace stood up._

 _"I guess taking in your love waves helped me survive this, dudette." Carapace chuckled._

 _"Damn, you had me worried." The angel said, a slight flirtation in her tone, a sultry smile on her face, and a hand on her hip._

 _"Thank you much, you brave angel," Carapace thanked. "Your name..."_

 _Rumbling of the ground interrupted the pair's moment, forcing them to regain their foot. Carapace hid the angel behind his back. They saw that more akumas and sentimonsters were on the attack. They'd already fired a huge blast on the ground, and there was a huge plume of smoke coming up from it._

 _Carapace stepped away, turned to the girl, and said, "Maybe we shouldn't tell each other our names right now?"_

 _"What?" She spoke, surprised. "Why not?"_

 _"I think right now, in this angel realm, we're in a situation where we can only use our love waves for one reason - to protect Master Fu..." Carapace admitted to her. "But once this war is done..."_

 _"How are we going to-" She began to question, but..._

 _Carapace took his shield up and jumped away to follow the smoke, with the full intention of fighting the war to the fullest. The angel girl looked on with a small smile._ _The angel took her helmet off, but the scene was looking at her from the back._

"After that, I tried to look for you _everywhere_ , multiple times, but I couldn't..." Carapace in the real world spoke. "But now I have!"

 _The scene changed angles to reveal that the angel in question was an adult Rena Rouge. Her hair was blowing in the wind, as she watched Carapace go to battle._

Rena Rouge was wearing a happy smile, but she was crying tears of joy as her memories of a past life were rushing back to her.

"It's you... You're the reincarnation of that unnamed angel I met all that time ago." Carapace said, wiping her tears away and resting his hand on her cheek.

"Looks like we've found each other after all this time after all, Carapace." Rena laughed as she used both her hands to hold his wrist. She was clearly still trying to be mischievous as she rubbed her cheek in the palm of his hand.

Carapace gave her a loving look and a loving nod. He was about to lean in for a kiss, when...

He suddenly grabbed his neck again in a choke hold, shaking in pain.

"Carapace!" Rena spoke.

"Th-The power of the akumas..." He groaned as he stood up.

"What's going on?!" Rena shouted in askance.

He shouted in pain again as the red marks appeared on his cheeks once more.

"Carapace!" Rena shouted again.

"R-Rena..." Carapace moaned, the red marks fading in an out repeatedly. "We don't have the love waves to save us this time, so we don't have a choice... You... You _need_ to kill me! Right now!"

"I can't do it! I _won't_ do it! Don't you DARE ask me to do that ever again!" Rena protested, almost the exact same way her previous incarnation did in the past. She looked up, looking the turtle angel in the eye, tears about to leak again. "I could _never_ hurt you, Carapace! Not in the past, not now... And not ever! I'm so sorry!"

The marks faded once again. With a smile on his face and one eye open, Carapace told Rena, "I... I'll miss you, dudette."

Using what little energy he had, he snatched up Rena's flute, and turned it into a sword.

Rena's eyes widened and she gasped as Carapace took the sword, and with both hands, shoved it through his chest, with the blade coming out of his back, a la Juliet in her suicide.

 ** _"NO~!"_ **Rena screamed, tears falling from her face and sparkling in the dim light.

Carapace dropped the sword, which magically changed back into a flute.

He stumbled, holding on to his self-inflicted wound. Rena ran up and tried to support his body by holding on to him.

"No! _NO, Carapace!_ " Rena shouted in worry.

"R-Rena... I... I tried to find you for so long... Oh, Rena..." Carapace weakly admitted before collapsing to the ground.

"Carapace, no!" Rena hollered.

 _"Rena!" "Carapace!"_ Ladybug and Queen Bee shouted as they ran over to the two angels.

"Is Carapace gonna... Gonna die?!" Nooroo asked.

"No, not if _we_ have anything to say about it," Rena Rouge declared. "Queen Bee, Ladybug, I need both of you to give me your love waves!"

"Say what?" Queen Bee questioned.

Rena stood up and told her friends, "We need to concentrate every single microscopic droplet of our love waves onto Carapace!"

"That's _ridiculous! Utterly ridiculous!"_ Queen Bee protested, shocked.

"Any idea what might happen, Rena?" Ladybug gently questioned.

"...No clue," Rena admitted before growing firm. "But we won't know what'll happen if we don't try."

"Rena..." Queen Bee began.

"No, Queen Bee," Ladybug said with a smile. "She's right. We have to try."

The girls stood in a triangle formation around Carapace. Their Miraculous were beginning to glow in their respective colors while they were radiating the same colors in their love wave auras.

"I am Ladybug," Ladybug said, her eyes closed and smiling. "And I give my love waves to Carapace."

"To Carapace." Queen Bee chanted, her expression the same.

"To Carapace!" Rena declared, her passion the strongest out of the three.

The love waves were radiating on the ground, going into Carapace. They were creating a sort of backwards ripple effect. Instead of the ripples going from one point outwards, it was inwards to one point instead. In this case, the ripples were going into Carapace, who was still lying on his back, but he started floating in the air, radiating green like in the past.

Once he was up in the air, Rena Rouge activated her Miraculous Something Borrowed.

"Carapace, please accept my love for you!" Rena declared as she began to summon up her wand.

"Whoa, Rena! What are you going to do?!" Queen Bee asked.

"Rena, stop!" Ladybug pleaded. "Not on Carapace!"

Rena took the wand in her hand, she charged it up with more love waves than usual, and she shouted out, _"LOVE'S TRIBUTE CANDLE! MIRACULOUS FANTASIES!"_

She fired her love waves in the form of the fox lights at Carapace, who was still levitating while lying on his back, glowing green.

Once the fox lights collided with Carapace, there was a big, white flash created from it. Rena Rouge was now standing in a big, white void.

"Oh, Carapace..." She cried, looking around for him in the big, white expanse. "Carapace! _Carapace!_ "

She kept shouting his name, but she got no reply.

"Oh, Carapace..." Rena cried, tears about to fall from her eyes again. She hung her head. But she almost immediately felt a hand clap her shoulder.

She turned around, and there, standing strong, was Carapace, fully healed and giving her a loving smile.

Rena gasped in relieved delight, then leaped into his arms, shouting, _"Carapace!"_

He returned her hug, and the white faded back into the black-purple scene they were in.

A little way's off, Ladybug and Queen Bee were watching.

"Aw, that's so sweet," Ladybug cooed. "Aren't they cute together, Queen Bee?"

"Maybe, but it's so unfair! We all busted our asses giving Carapace our love waves." Queen Bee pointed out.

"True, but I think that the love waves from Lady Rena Rouge were the most powerful because of how strongly she feels for Carapace." Nooroo suggested.

Queen Bee used her top to bonk Nooroo on the head. The poor kwami was whining in pain.

The moment was interrupted when Volpina arrived.

"Aha! So that's where you fled to!" Volpina shouted, and all her duplicates came to rally behind her. The real one pointed out Rena and Carapace. "Hey, don't think I don't see you two, acting all lovey-dovey! And that's the _last thing_ I wanna see right now!"

Her duplicates started charging in head-first to attack the angels. They all blew into their flutes in tandem and fired off black akuma energy.

"Incoming!" Queen Bee shouted.

With a determined smile, Ladybug said, "I've got this!"

 _"Lady's Crystal!"_ Ladybug shouted, conjuring up her crystal and activating it. She took the akuma energy into her crystal. _"Engagement Present! Lady's Crystal, L'amour Pour Vous!"_

She fired a large blast of white light at all the Volpina duplicates, who were all shouting in pain. They turned into sparkles and flew up into the air. Once they were gone, the sky turned back to normal.

But the real Volpina was spared, granted she was now sitting head-first in one of the trash bins, moaning.

"Ugh, gross! You haven't heard the last of me, Love Angels!" Volpina vowed before vanishing in a fire.

Ladybug used her Miraculous Ladybug to fix all the damage that occurred, and then the angels sans Carapace ran for cover to change back.

Everyone on the fencing team was still unconscious. Carapace floated down to the ground, looked around a few times, and closed his eyes.

He slowly collapsed to the ground, and as he did, he slowly started transforming... Back into Nino Lahiffe. He fell on his stomach on the ground, just as a small turtle kwami appeared out of a bracelet he was wearing. The kwami ducked to hide.

Nino sat back up, looked around, and muttered, "Damn, dude... What was I doing just now?"

The next day at school, Alya was standing at the window and looking at the sky. Trixx was sitting there, too.

"Me and Carapace..." Alya said, her signature smile of mischief on her face. "A romance born from a war, huh? That's unexpected."

"You gotta expect the unexpected when it comes to love, Alya," Trixx spoke. "The two of you had quite the moment on the field."

"Yeah, I guess you're right." Alya laughed.

Meanwhile, Nino was running to school, almost as if he was going to be late for the school radio station. He ran past the window where Alya was. Almost as if they were in slow-motion, Nino turned his head to look Alya in the eyes.

Alya blushed a little bit, but she shook her head when she thought of her beloved turtle. As Nino passed her by, Alya went back to thinking of Carapace, meanwhile Nino was focused on his own personal task.

* * *

 **...Wow! I'm sure a lot of you guys didn't see that coming. But then again, I'm sure you all knew from the beginning that Nino's Carapace. But the way their romance started? Wasn't that impressive?**

 **And for those who have seen "Wedding Peach," you know that most of the Adrienette moments in here were just from Lila's imagination running wild, but I added a few bits just to satisfy you guys without taking away from the Renapace romance in this chapter.**

 **Coming up, Adrien's being controlled by akumas, particularly one called the Puppeteer, and the girls have to figure out a way to stop her! And _WHY_ is Lila visiting Marinette at her house?! What the hell?! **


	34. Love's Marionette!

***Sarcastic* Oh, great! _JUST PERFECT!_ After a disastrous meal at the hands of Lila (you'll see what I mean later) and coming to Adrien's rescue from said girl, an angry Volpina summons up an akuma called the called the Puppeteer, who's somehow magically taken control of Adrien to make him a puppet to Volpina's whims! Talk about a big problem!**

* * *

Marinette and company were at the Marché Popincourt farmers' market near the Eiffel Tower for an educational/grocery shopping trip. The primary goal was to educate Chloé on how to food shop on her own, including responsible shopping (shopping locally and supporting small businesses, and finding artisan crafts and goods). The girls also wanted to show the kwamis some of the features of the modern human world, including food sources.

They were currently at a fish monger stand. Marinette was standing in front of the tables while the girls were standing in the back.

"I was expecting this place to literally stink, but it doesn't smell one bit," Chloé commented. "Weird."

"That's most likely a _fromagerie_ you're thinking of, Chloé," Alya began. "Fish and other meats don't smell when they're fresh. It's only when they've gone bad that they start to smell fishy, so to speak."

"Oh." Chloé said, rolling her eyes in realization.

"Hi there," Marinette said, waving to the fish monger. "I'm back."

"Ah, if it isn't Marinette Dupain-Cheng, one of my favorite customers!" He laughed, happily. "What can I get for you today?"

"I was thinking, since I'm a frequent customer, and you have some _beautiful_ black bass, how about a discount of say... 15%?" Marinette requested. "Dad's been craving some seafood lately and I want to deliver with a special meal tonight!"

"I can't say no to _you_ , Marinette," The fishmonger said, taking one of the bigger whole bass, shoved it into a thing of ice, and handed it to Marinette. "Here you go!"

"Aw, thank you!" Marinette said as she took the fish, put it in her cooler, and paid for it.

"You're so welcome. I hope to see you have your own clothing booth here sometime soon," The fishmonger said. "And be sure to bring up the idea of a bakery stand to your dad again."

"I will!" Marinette said.

The girls watched as Marinette shook hands with the fishmonger.

After their shopping trip was over, the girls were on the metro back to the bakery. They were all alone in one car, so the kwamis were out.

"Wow, Marinette, I'm impressed with how smart of a shopper you are," Tikki said, eating a macaron while sitting on Marinette's shoulder. "You didn't even spend €25 on the groceries, and you have enough for at least a few dinners at home!"

"Yeah, you have _got_ to teach me your haggling techniques, girl." Alya agreed.

"I'm so used to spending _more_ and having servants, but now I have a new perspective," Chloé added. "Thanks."

"Oh, my queen, can we _please_ get the organic, raw honey next time?" Pollen begged.

"Of course. Only the best for my kwami." Chloé promised.

"Thanks," Marinette thanked her friends. "But I can do more than just cut down food prices. I'm no slouch in baking or cooking, either."

"Boy, do we know _that_ ," Trixx laughed. "Those homemade blueberry-fig bars you made always hit the spot. You're amazing."

"Those kitchen talents of yours will come in handy as an adult," Tikki spoke to Marinette. "And when you get married, they'll be even more crucial! You'll be able to save money and live a healthier life!"

Marinette blushed and said, "Speaking of getting married... If it was Luka, I'd be more than happy to marry him straight out of high school!"

 _~Fantasy~_

 _There was a small apartment in the suburban area of Paris._

 _The door opened, and Luka, carrying his guitar on his back and his stage costume in his hand, stepped in, shouting, "I'm home, Marinette!"_

 _Marinette, wearing an apron, came out into the entrance hall and said, "Welcome home, Luka! How was your gig?"_

 _"We got a standing ovation, babe," Luka said, putting his guitar down. "How about you? Was work good?"_

 _"Oh, it was," Marinette confirmed as she approached. "The bride fell in love with the design I came up with!"_

 _"That's great!" Luka chortled before letting out a yawn._

 _"You must have had a long day," Marinette said. "So, do you want to take a bath, or do you want to help me make dinner?"_

 _"Honestly, neither," Luka chuckled before putting his hands on her shoulders. "I'd rather have_ you _, babe."_

 _He leaned in for a kiss, and Marinette began mirroring the motion. But she sensed the change in Luka's presence._

 _She opened one eye, only to see Adrien giving her a passionate look instead._

 _"A-Adrien?!" Marinette shouted._

 _"Pucker up, honey-bunny!" Adrien pleaded before leaning in for a kiss._

 _"AHAHAHAHAHA!"_

 _~Fantasy Over~_

"Oh, come on, Marinette. You gotta admit that you and Adrien would be totally _adorbs_ together!" Alya laughed. The kwamis (sans Tikki) were calming down from the laughter, too.

"That's not funny, Alya!" Marinette said, blushing. "Adrien's just a friend!"

"Then why were you so bent out of shape when Lila first arrived at school?" Chloé teased, her arms crossed and a brow quirked, her smile nothing short of amused.

Marinette's blush went deeper, unable to answer.

"Just admit it, girl," Alya laughed. "You like Adrien."

"I-I, um..." Marinette stammered, her face turning the color of her suit.

"Hurry up, admit it, and tell him you like him!" Chloé barked. "Otherwise that witch is going to steal him away from you!"

"Steal Adrien?!" Marinette shouted.

"Would you girls cut it out?" Nooroo calmly asked. "There's no way Adrien would fall for that girl. I've seen the way he looks at her."

"What do you mean, "you've seen the way he looks at her," Nooroo?!" Marinette screamed in worry, grabbing Nooroo by the abdomen and pulling him to her face.

"Yeah, elaborate, Nooroo!" Trixx demanded.

"Indeed! Duchess Marinette needs reassurance!" Pollen agreed.

"He looks at her as if she's the most disgusting thing in the world! Like scum!" Nooroo squeaked. "Now would everyone just calm down?!"

* * *

At Marinette's house, Lila had somehow made her way inside. She was in the kitchen, she had her hair tied up, was wearing an apron, and was chittering away like no one's business.

She was giggling as she was preparing the tools she needed to cook.

"Well, well, aren't I just the perfect domestic akuma girl?" She giggled.

She winked at the fridge, and the crisper drawer opened automatically. A variety of vegetables magically flew out and were bobbing up and down in mid-air.

"Cooking time!" She cheered as she used her magic to begin cooking.

The knife was moving on its own, slicing a zucchini on the bias, and the vegetables were being washed under the sink at the same time. The simmering water was being seasoned with kosher salt and fresh-ground black pepper, etc. The vegetables were moving along in an assembly line, with the zucchini jumping into the water while the rest of the vegetables were being prepared to be diced, sliced, chopped, what have you.

Marinette soon opened the door to house, saying, "I'm back! Sorry I took so long with the shopping, dad! I'll get started on helping you make the bass _vol-au-vent_ right now!"

"Welcome back, Mari!" Lila said as she stepped out of the kitchen to greet Marinette. "Perfect timing! Dinner's ready!"

She jumped back in fright, shouting, "Lila?! What are _you_ doing here?!"

Marinette sat at the table with her dad, with Lila facing opposite to them. There was a variety of freshly-cooked dishes, such as bouillabaisse with loads of lobster; ratatouille with bunches of fresh vegetables; French onion soup with a bubbling cheese crouton on top; cheesy paté au choux puffs; golden-brown, pan-fried sole meunière; a caramel-golden apple tart tatin with deep, dark flecks of vanilla bean caviar throughout the plump, soft apple filling.

Lila was giggling at her handiwork.

"Wow! This looks amazing!" Tom said. "I'm impressed at how capable you are, especially since you're in the same grade as Marinette!"

Marinette reached up to her dad and whisper-hissed into his ear, " _Why_ did you let her in?!"

"Oh, come now, Marinette," Tom laughed. "While I was working down in the bakery, waiting for you, Lila here showed up and offered to cook us dinner because "culinarians need someone to cook for _them_ for a change," and I decided to take her up on the offer."

"For real?" Marinette asked, suspicious.

"There's no need to thank me at all," Lila giggled with a smile. "For me, cooking's easy as breathing."

Marinette's face went from neutral to a slight scowl, all but _expecting_ something to go wrong.

"So, eat up! Don't hold back!" Lila encouraged.

"Oh, I will!" Tom said as he took a piece of lobster from the bouillabaisse onto his fork.

Marinette snuck a few pieces of the cheese puffs into her purse for the kwamis to eat before taking some ratatouille.

Tom ate the lobster, but once it hit his tongue, his body jerked like someone had popped a balloon behind him and scared him. His face turned a sickly-pale green color, and his eyes looked confused.

"Wow, this... Is delicious!" Tom said through his teeth.

"Really?" Marinette questioned as she ate the vegetables. She had the same reaction as her father, thinking, _'Ugh, did she take half-spoiled food out of the trash and cook with it?!'_

"W... What _is_ this?!" Marinette gagged out.

She heard moaning from her bag. Inside, Nooroo and Tikki were gagging, their faces sickly-green, and on the verge of spitting the food out.

"Ugh, camembert cheese tastes better than _this!_ " Tikki complained.

"How can something that looks so appetizing taste so disgusting?!" Nooroo agreed.

They were loud enough for only Marinette to hear. She was thinking, _'Sorry, you two.'_

"I'm sure you can agree that I'm a master chef, right?" Lila asked, blissfully unaware of how _horrid_ her cooking was.

"Actually, I think you qualify for that American cooking show called Wor..." Marinette began, but her father quickly cut in.

He whispered into her ear, "Marinette, Lila did this out of the goodness of her heart! Just eat it and don't complain!"

"What?!" Marinette asked.

"Just grit your teeth and eat it!" Tom said as he took another bite of the bouillabaisse, only to scream.

Later in Marinette's bedroom (after taking QUITE a bit of stomach medication)...

 _"Please, Mari! Pretty please with all of your best macarons on top?"_ Lila begged, her eyes sparkling and a bright smile on her face. She was on her knees on the floor while Marinette was sitting on her chaise lounge.

Marinette locked up _everything_ in her room, and Nooroo and Tikki were still in hiding.

 _"Won't you bring me over to Adrien's place, please?"_ Lila pleaded. "See, he won't turn me away if _you_ bring me there."

"Aha," Marinette said flatly, nearly glaring at the girl. "I _knew_ you were here with ulterior motives."

"I _desperately_ wanna get all affectionate with Adrien," Lila explained. "And what better way to do that than cook for him? After all, the best way to a man's heart is through his stomach, right?"

"You wanna cook for Adrien?" Marinette asked, a baffled expression on her face.

She was already imagining his reaction. One bite of the food Lila cooked, and his tastebuds would be tasered with disgust, and he'd be sitting there with a nauseated expression.

Marinette shook her head to get herself together, and she thought, _'Okay, NO ONE should have to eat food like that! Especially not Adrien! But...'_

"Oh, _please,_ Mari?!" Lila begged again, getting closer to Marinette by crawling on her knees.

Marinette was shuddering, but she swallowed a lump in her throat. She'd seen that look before on Manon, and she thought she'd gotten the ability to resist it. But that willpower went out the window.

"O... Okay, I'll do it." Marinette relented, immediately feeling like the food she ate would be seen a second time.

"Thank you _so much_ , Mari!" Lila squealed, jumping on Marinette to hug her. "This makes me so happy!"

Marinette couldn't resist a groan.

As the twosome were walking to Adrien's house, Lila turned to Marinette and said, "I can't figure out a better way to show my gratitude, so I'll teach you a special charm."

"Thanks, but I don't need a charm." Marinette politely declined, thinking, _'I already have a lucky charm in the form of Tikki and Maman's ring.'_

"Everyone needs a charm," Lila insisted as they stopped walking and she started rummaging around in her purse. "My akuma charm-"

She stammered at what word came out of her mouth.

"Um, my _magic_ charm really works. It's foolproof! So, take it." Lila said, backpedalling as she took something out of her purse and handed it to Marinette.

It was made of paper. It looked like it had a head made of feathers, but it also looked like it had giant, spooky bat wings, too. Like an imposing monster if one looked at it at a certain angle.

"You just write down someone's name, imagine what you want them to do, and they'll do it." Lila explained.

"Um, okay," Marinette said, taking it into her hands. "Does it really work?"

"An akuma tells no lies, Marinette." Lila spoke.

"Excuse me?" Marinette said, looking at her in suspicion.

Lila once again realized her screw-up, and with a blush on her face with a sheepish expression, she said, "Um, I said I never lie, Marinette, akuma be damned!"

Marinette looked at Lila suspiciously, and thought, _'Did she say "akuma," or am I being paranoid?'_

Later at the Agreste Mansion, Marinette and Adrien were sitting at the dining room table. Marinette was sitting on the side while Adrien was at the head. They were looking at each other awkwardly, but Adrien's expression was both in annoyance and anger while Marinette was embarrassed.

"Just be patient, Adrien! Your scrumptious dinner is almost finished!" Lila called from the kitchen. She poked out her head and said, "Mari, you can leave whenever you want, since you already ate."

Lila went back into the kitchen while Marinette gave a subtle huff.

" _Why_ did you bring her here?" Adrien muttered petulantly.

"She wouldn't stop begging," Marinette defended, embarrassed. "I'm sorry."

"She's a real pain in the neck, even by my standards." Adrien admitted.

Lila came out of the kitchen with a tray of the same sole dish she gave Marinette and Tom earlier. She said, "Okay, dinner's ready!"

She came to the table and sandwiched herself between Marinette and Adrien. She put the dish in front of Adrien.

"This looks pretty good." He admitted, a small smile coming up.

"You're still here, Marinette?" Lila asked, giving Marinette a pointed look.

Marinette sighed, stood up and said, "Okay, fine. I can take a hint. Bye."

Marinette turned on her heel to leave the dining room.

"Wait, Mariboo!" Adrien said, standing up to go after her.

Lila shoved herself in Adrien's space, saying, "Oh, Adrien, we're alone together at last."

Adrien gave her an annoyed, angry expression and asked with a fed-up tone, "What do you want?"

"Oh, just to feed you," Lila giggled as she took a piece of sole on the fork and tried to feed it to Adrien. "Now, open up."

"Knock it off," Adrien said, pulling away from her. "I can do it myself."

"Say "aah,"" Lila spoke, putting the fork closer into his face. "Come on."

Outside the gates, Marinette was looking at the mansion in worry. Nooroo and Tikki came out.

"Worried about Adrien?" Tikki asked.

Marinette nodded and said, "...Yeah, I'm worried. What was I thinking, bringing Lila here?"

 _"AAAGGHH!"_ Adrien screamed from inside, scaring Marinette. _"WHAT THE HELL IS THIS?!"_

"Poor guy, he's gonna get a really bad stomachache," Nooroo commented as Adrien screamed again. "Or food poisoning..."

Marinette looked on, thinking, _'Adrien...'_

* * *

 _"What?!"_ Alya shouted.

The girls had a meeting at Marinette's place again.

"Why would you bring _Lila_ over to Adrien's mansion?!" Alya questioned.

"Well, I... She wore me down..." Marinette spoke, sighing.

"Marinette, you might as well have let a fox into a chicken coop!" Chloé spat.

 _"HEY!"_ Alya and Trixx shouted back, indignant.

"Sorry, best analogy I could think of," Chloé sheepishly admitted before turning back to Marinette. "But in all seriousness, Marinette, Rossi's gonna eat Adrien up!"

Marinette's brain conjured up an image of Adrien tied up by his hands and feet, wrapped in a giant crepe with gruyere cheese and mushrooms, and he was struggling to break free. Lila, a giant, was towering over him, fork and knife in hand.

Marinette shuddered, saying, "No way!"

"This is a dangerous situation! For all we know, Lila could be kissing Adrien at this very moment!" Trixx commented, before giggling. "Just kidding! Sounds sexy, huh?"

"Trixx!" Alya said scoldingly before turning back to Marinette. "Sorry about that, but she's got a point. It wouldn't be out of the question for that girl to force a kiss on Adrien right now."

"So she's a coyote and he's a chicken..." Marinette muttered, but an idea popped into her head. "I've got it!"

She took out the paper charm that Lila gave her, and started writing something down.

"Duchess Marinette, what's that?" Pollen questioned.

"It's a paper charm that Lila gave me," Marinette explained before finishing up her writing - turned out she wrote down Nino's name. She folded her hands together. "I wish Nino would call Adrien on his phone and save him from the coyote!"

The paper charm started glowing.

"Marinette, relying on a charm isn't going to work!" Chloé said, snagging Marinette's wrist. "Come on, let's get Adrien away from that coyote!"

The girls stood up and ran out of the room.

"Oh, Adrien..." Lila said, giving Adrien a pout.

"Yes?" Adrien questioned, while thinking, _'Someone get her out of here!'_

"You _know_ that I love you, don't you?" Lila questioned, her face red as she turned her face up to him, and fluttered her eyelashes. She also moved into his space again, trying to lean her head against his chest. "And you love me too, don't you?"

Adrien felt cockroaches running up and down his spine and his stomach was churning from the food.

Lila tried rubbing her cheek against the crook of his neck, asking with faux sweetness, "There's no way you'd ever hate me, huh?"

Adrien's phone started going off, and it was at the other end of the table. Adrien smiled, in relief.

"Oh, phone!" He said in delight as he stood up and ran to pick up the device. He snatched it up without paying attention to the caller ID. "Hello? Oh, hey Nino!"

"Yo, Adrien, I'm at that new burger restaurant that's near the Eiffel Tower, across the street from the train station," Nino said from his location, in front of the restaurant. "I gotta tell you something important, dude. Think you can meet me over here, buddy?"

"Nino, you have saved my life." Adrien muttered, letting out a breath in relief.

 _"Say what?"_ Nino asked over the phone.

"Oh, um, nothing," Adrien said. "On my way!"

He hung up, only to realize that Lila was in his space, eavesdropping.

"Sorry, gotta go!" Adrien said before making a break for the door. "See you at school!"

"Adrien, wait!" Lila screamed after him, but he was gone. She scowled. "And it was all going according to plan! Damn that phone...!"

Adrien had his bodyguard both kick Lila out of the mansion and take him to the restaurant.

Adrien immediately sat at the table with Nino. The two of them placed their orders by giving the server tickets that listed the choices they made for their customized burgers (bun type, meat type, etc.).

After their server left Adrien asked, "So, what did you need to talk to me about, Nino?"

"Well, I thought I had something important to talk to you about, but I totally spaced on it," Nino said, giving an awkward chuckle. "Sorry to drag you out like that, dude."

"Don't be sorry about it at all, Nino," Adrien said as he sighed in relief. "Honestly, I felt like I was caged with a coyote and you let me out."

Outside the restaurant doors, the girls were surprised that the charm worked.

"Wow, that charm actually worked?" Chloé asked.

"Yeah..." Marinette said as she looked at it in suspicion.

"Hey, why not let me borrow that?" Alya asked. "I want to make that Lila girl bite the dust!"

"No way! We shouldn't use it to hurt people!" Marinette said as she and the girls started fighting over the charm. But their tension caused it to rip.

"Oh no!" Tikki said.

"You three can be so greedy sometimes..." Nooroo commented.

"Well, we don't need it anymore," Marinette said with a sigh. "We got Adrien away from the coyote."

The girls all gave agreeing nods and hums.

Lila was in front of a magic mirror in the akuma realm, and she was looking into it. Her reflection was showing her true form.

With a wicked smile, she said, "Mirror, mirror, show me where Adrien Agreste is at this very moment _right now_ , please."

She kissed the mirror's glass, it flashed red, and it showed Adrien sitting next to Marinette in a booth at the burger restaurant, with Alya, Nino, and Chloé sitting opposite to them.

Marinette and Adrien seemed to be having a nice conversation with each other, both of them hiding blushes on their faces.

"What?! He ran out on me to meet up with Mari?!" Lila spat, enraged at the sight. She turned away from the mirror and started fake crying. "This is awful!"

Her face went from sad to infuriated, and she said, "Okay, now I'm angry! Adrien should be obeying _MY_ orders! Doing only what _I_ want him to do!"

After using her akuma energy to change back into Volpina, she shouted, _"PUPPETEER!"_

A little girl with spiked pigtails, wearing blue and dark purple, had a magic wand in hand, and was playing with some dolls was conjured up.

"Don't worry, Volpina, I'll make your boy-toy move however you want!" The little girl, the Puppeteer giggled as she moved her dolls around.

Marinette and company left the restaurant after a good burger.

"I never thought something so oily would taste so good." Chloé commented.

"Since it's not safe to be walking around alone at night, I'm thinking that Nino and I can walk home together, Chloé can catch an Uber to get back to the hotel, and you can have your bodyguard drive Marinette home, Adrien."

"What?!" Marinette asked, blushing.

"Sure thing," Adrien said with a smile. "I'm more than happy to do it!"

"That's great! Especially since Marinette's house is in the same direction as yours." Alya said as she and the others went their ways for the night.

"Alya!" Marinette protested, blushing.

"Well, that's that," Adrien said as the car came up and Adrien held the door open. "Come on, let's get you home."

"That's fine, Adrien," Marinette said as she turned away. "I can get home on my own."

"Mariboo, you shouldn't look a gift horse in the mouth," Adrien insisted. "Come on, you're being uncool."

Marinette sighed and conceded before going into the car.

As they were riding along in the car, Marinette's face was turned away from Adrien, who was looking at her.

"Mariboo, I really don't know what you're after, but that wasn't very cute back there." Adrien pointed out.

"Sorry for not being cute like Lila." Marinette spat.

"Mariboo, do I detect some jealousy?" Adrien teased.

"What, me?! Jealous?! Why?" Marinette questioned, red in the face. "No."

"That's a shame," Adrien began, before blushing and rubbing the back of his neck. "I... I would've been pretty happy if you were."

Marinette looked at Adrien in surprise, and she said, "Huh?"

Adrien looked Marinette in the eyes and said, "Truth is... I actually would've liked to eat something _you_ cooked tonight."

"Really?" Marinette asked.

"Yeah," Adrien confirmed. "I've heard the rumors about you being great in the culinary arts, with your dad being the best baker in Paris and all. So... I've always wanted to try it."

Marinette blushed and said, "Adrien..."

Adrien smiled back at her, and he made to reach his hand over her shoulder. But he stopped and pulled back. The two of them fell into a comfortable, happy silence.

When the car pulled up to the Dupain-Cheng bakery, Adrien got out of the car and opened the door to let Marinette out.

" _Bonne nuit_ , Mariboo." Adrien said as Marinette began to walk to the door.

"Hey Adrien, quick question?" Marinette asked.

"What's up?" Adrien questioned.

"How was the food Lila made?" Marinette questioned, a teasing look on her face.

Adrien chuckled and said, "It was terrible."

Adrien got back in the car.

"Thanks for bringing me home, Adrien." Marinette thanked.

"No problem! See you at school tomorrow." Adrien said as he shut the car door and it started driving away.

Marinette smiled as she saw the car leave for the night.

That evening, Adrien was sleeping peacefully in his bed, a smile on his face.

But the Puppeteer appeared in a purple cloud and she looked at Adrien with a smile.

"Looks like you're soundly asleep," She giggled. She flew down, took a strand of his hair, and flew back up. "And now..."

She magically turned the hair strand into a doll in his likeness and started moving his arms around. Like she was controlling a marionette, his arms were moving the way she wanted them too.

"There! It's ready!" The Puppeteer cackled.

* * *

At school the next day, lunchtime was rolling around. Adrien was gonna go with his bodyguard back to the mansion to eat lunch, but the vixen (not Alya) was getting in his way.

"Oh, Adrien," Lila cooed as she presented him with a food container. "Please enjoy this food I made for you, filled with love!"

Adrien was shuddering, looking very unsettled, and he declined, "I'm sorry, but no thanks..."

"What, why?" Lila asked. "I made this for you! Why won't you eat it?"

"Thing is..." Adrien began to explain.

Above them, the Puppeteer made herself intangible to everyone but Lila, and she was holding on to the Adrien doll she made.

"Eat it!" She commanded while moving the doll's arms.

Much to his confusion, Adrien's arms started moving on their own accord. His hands took the box Lila had, put it down in front of him, and the Puppeteer manipulated the hands to lift the box lid off. It revealed a medley of treats that Lila made, including _vol-au-vent_ with chicken salad, choquettes, heart-shaped macarons, and more.

And Adrien tried to stop himself, but his hands were reaching for a _vol-au-vent_. They picked the food up.

"Oh, you'll eat it?!" Lila squealed in delight.

"You'll eat it, Adrien!" The Puppeteer ordered as she moved the Adrien doll's hands to the mouth.

The magic forced Adrien to take a bite out of the _vol-au-vent_ , but he looked like he was going to cry from the horrid-tasting food, his face was sickly-green, and his stomach was churning.

"I'm glad you enjoy my cooking! Thank you, Adrien!" Lila cooed, blushing.

At the classroom door, the girls were watching Adrien's movements in total confusion.

"Adrien..." Marinette murmured in worry.

"What the hell's going on here?" Alya asked.

"No idea," Chloé answered. "This is too weird."

Lila (with the Puppeteer's help) was wiping Adrien's mouth with a napkin, and she said, "Once you're finished, let's go on a date, okay?"

"Say what? Absolutely no-" Adrien began.

"Go!" The Puppeteer ordered as she moved the doll.

Adrien's body forcibly stood itself up and put an arm around Lila's shoulder.

"We're going to have such a great time!" Lila giggled as the Puppeteer forced Adrien to walk, but his movements were jerky.

As they left the classroom, the girls came up to them.

"Adrien!" Marinette spoke.

"Mariboo?!" Adrien began.

"What's up? Need something, Mari?" Lila questioned.

"W-Well... Don't do anything irresponsible, okay?" Marinette said, upset.

"Mariboo, it's not like-" Adrien began to explain, but the Puppeteer manipulated the doll's hands to cover Adrien's mouth.

"Now, shove her to the ground!" She cackled as she moved the arms to make a pushing motion.

Adrien's arm, once again acting on its own accord, shoved Marinette to the floor.

"No! Mariboo?!" Adrien shouted in worry when he saw Marinette down on her butt. "What am I doing?!"

"Now let's get somewhere where we can be alone, Adrien." Lila purred as she and Adrien walked away (with Adrien trying to resist whatever was making him move uncontrollably).

"Mariboo!" Adrien shouted as they kept going.

"Marinette!" Alya said as she and Chloé knelt down to check on her.

Marinette kept watching as Adrien and Lila were walking down the halls. She remembered what he told her last night.

 _Adrien looked Marinette in the eyes and said, "Truth is... I actually would've liked to eat something you cooked tonight."_

 _'I can't believe it... I had faith in you! I trusted you!'_ Marinette thought, about to cry.

She stood up, and shouted, _"ADRIEN, YOU LIAR!"_

Marinette ran off in tears, dropping her bag.

"Marinette!" Chloé shouted as Tikki flew out of the bag and flew after her owner.

"Things are getting totally wacko!" Trixx spoke from hiding.

"But something's not right," Chloé added. "Didn't Adrien's movements seem rather awkward? It's like his body wasn't acting the way he wanted it to."

"Yeah, I noticed that, too." Alya agreed.

Nooroo was rubbing his head, and he moaned in pain.

"Ow..." He whined, but when he looked up, he saw the Puppeteer. "Oh, no!"

"What's up, Nooroo?" Alya asked.

"Heads' up! That's the akuma known as the Puppeteer!" Nooroo pointed out.

Outside in the school yard, Lila had brought Adrien away, and she turned to face him.

"Now, give me a kiss." Lila ordered, a wicked smile on her face.

"What?! No!" Adrien protested.

"Kiss her!" Puppeteer ordered as she moved Adrien's doll to get him to kiss Lila.

Adrien's head was forcibly moving closer to Lila, who was puckering up. His lips were pursing against his will, too.

"No! Why is this going on?! I won't let it..." Adrien stated as he forced himself to pull away.

 _"Do it!"_ Puppeteer ordered again, once again moving the doll to her whims.

But she shoved too hard, and Adrien bonked his head on hers, and Lila wound up falling into one of the school topiaries while he smacked his head against the wall.

"Whoopsie-do, looks like I went too far with that." The Puppeteer admitted.

"And that's as far as you're _gonna_ go!" Someone shouted.

A few meters away, Rena Rouge and Queen Bee, in their suits and their weapons in hand, were standing back-to-back, ready for a fight.

"No! Not the stinking Love Angels!" The Puppeteer complained.

"We're stopping you right here, akuma!" Queen Bee declared.

"So you'd better let Adrien go!" Rena Rouge demanded.

Hiding in the topiary, Volpina was watching, a successful smirk on her face.

"Like moths to flames," She giggled. "Puppeteer, take them both out!"

 _"Venom Spin!"_ Queen Bee shouted as she fired her top, and the string immediately wrapped itself around the Puppeteer's abdomen.

She pulled the small akuma close to them, and Rena commented, "Not the strongest akuma, huh?"

But the Puppeteer smiled and she used her free hands to pull strands of hair from each angel.

"OW!" Rena shouted.

"Hey! What are you playing at?!" Queen Bee shouted. "Do you know how long this hair takes to care for?!"

The Puppeteer escaped, and she turned the hair strands into dolls of their respective angels.

"And now you two Love Angels are my dolls!" She cackled before lifting the dolls up in her hands.

Rena Rouge and Queen Bee were being lifted into the air, and their limbs were moving against their will.

"What's going on here?!" Rena Rouge questioned.

"Hey, my body isn't your toy, you brat!" Queen Bee barked.

"Hahaha! The Love Angels are captured!" The Puppeteer gloated in sing-song.

"Excellent work, Puppeteer," Volpina praised as she came out of hiding. "Now that they're your toys, make them kill each other."

"You got it, Lady Volpina!" The Puppeteer replied as she smacked the dolls together.

Rena Rouge and Queen Bee's bodies collided with each other, and they screamed in pain.

"Adrien was being controlled by the Puppeteer!" Nooroo informed Marinette.

"He's being what?!" Marinette asked.

"You heard me!" Nooroo insisted.

 _'Adrien... I'm sorry I called you a liar.'_ Marinette thought.

 _"Lucky Wedding Flower!" "Bridal Change! Wedding Dress Transform! Angel Creation Ladybug!"_

Rena and Queen Bee were being banged into each other repeatedly. They were getting dizzy and tired from the impacts.

Volpina and the Puppeteer were laughing in delight.

"It'll be fun to see you two suffer before you die!" The Puppeteer cackled.

"Not on my watch!" Ladybug shouted from off-site.

The two akumas turned around to see Ladybug, her yo-yo spinning and glaring the akumas down.

"Ladybug!" Rena Rouge said, relieved.

"Turning people against each other with manipulation? I am _NOT_ amused!" Ladybug darkly shouted.

"Here's something else to be unamused at!" The Puppeteer shouted as she manipulated the Rena Rouge doll.

She started moving over to Ladybug from the air, and she shouted, "Hey, what's happening?!"

Rena Rouge was being controlled, and she fired a Mirage Bombard. She shouted, _"HEELP!"_

Ladybug blocked, and she shouted, "Rena, what was that for?!"

"The Puppeteer's got us under control! HELP!" Rena hollered.

"So what do I do?" Ladybug questioned.

"Absorb Lady Rena and Lady Queen Bee's attacks!" Nooroo instructed.

"What?" Ladybug questioned.

"Trust that your friends won't hurt you!" Nooroo advised.

Ladybug gave Nooroo a firm look and she said, "Got it."

She put her yo-yo away and faced the group.

"So, you surrender?" Volpina cackled. "Get her, Puppeteer!"

"Your allies will be your killers!" The Puppeteer shouted while moving the dolls around.

The angels were being moved around, too.

First off, the Puppeteer used her dolls to force Queen Bee to get her baton from her Miraculous Something Blue.

 _"Akuma's Bashfulness! Honey Star Shower!"_ The Puppeteer shouted as she forced Queen Bee to attack.

"AAAH!" Queen Bee screamed.

And the Puppeteer caused Rena Rouge to attack with her Miraculous Something Borrowed item, the wand.

 _"Akumas' Tribute Candle! Miraculous Fantasies!"_ The Puppeteer hollered.

The two attacks were heading straight for Ladybug, who didn't move a muscle.

 _'I know your powers won't do me any hurt. I trust you both with my life!'_ Ladybug thought.

She was blasted with the Miraculous Something Four magic, and everything went white.

 _"YES! Love Angel Ladybug is dead!"_ The Puppeteer cried in triumphant, only to see something wrong.

There was Ladybug, standing completely unharmed, and smiling as sparkles were floating around her.

 _"What?!"_ Volpina and the Puppeteer shouted.

"Um, hello? Rena Rouge and Queen Bee are Love Angels that attack with _love waves_ , so instead of those attacks _hurting_ me, another Love Angel, they healed me. Like a nice, refreshing day at the spa!" Ladybug giggled.

"I can't believe this!" The Puppeteer fused. "Well, _I_ don't attack with love waves, angel!"

She put her dolls away and fired black akuma energy.

Ladybug got her crystal out.

 _"Lady's Crystal!"_ Ladybug shouted as she absorbed the hate waves from the Puppeteer. _"Engagement Present! Lady's Crystal, L'amour Pour Vous!"_

She fired the purified love waves at the Puppeteer. She screamed, but her features softened. She smiled and giggled before disappearing into sparkles.

"Thanks for the save, Ladybug." Rena Rouge said as she and Queen Bee approached.

"No problem, girls." Ladybug said as she held her fist out.

 _"Pound it!"_ They shouted, doing their fist-bump.

"Ugh, spare me!" Volpina spat from hiding before disappearing.

The next day...

Marinette presented a box to Adrien, saying, "Here you go."

"Oh, what's this?" Adrien asked.

"You said you wanted to try my cooking, right?" Marinette questioned.

"That I did," Adrien chuckled. "I trust I won't find anything wacky in here, right?"

"Of course not." Marinette laughed.

Adrien lifted the box lid and he saw a Croque Madame with a Niçoise salad and some choquettes.

"Wow, this looks amazing." Adrien spoke, almost drooling.

"You made this by yourself, Marinette?" Chloé asked.

"Sure did." Marinette said with a giggle.

"Don't mind if I do!" Adrien said as he took the Croque Madame and took a bite.

Marinette and the others watched with bated breath as Adrien was chewing.

With a swallow, he started crying happy tears, saying, _"DAAAAMN, that is GOOD!"_

Marinette smiled and gasped in relief as Adrien kept taking bite after bite of the sandwich.

"This is amazing, Mariboo! Better than the mansion chefs' cooking." Adrien praised.

"Thanks." Marinette said with a blush.

* * *

 **Alright! Glad that's over with, sheesh.**

 **On the next episode of Wedding Ladybug, Chloé and Alya drag Marinette into following the fencing team to their training camp. And yet again, when Marinette and Adrien start getting close and having moments together, Volpina causes trouble! But this time it seems like the girls _and_ Carapace are overwhelmed. And just when it seems like their backs are against the wall...**

 **Okay, I've asked before and I'll ask again: can we get some comments on chapter 32, _please?_**


End file.
